Hybrid and Ms Forbes
by Sci-fi Christian
Summary: A chance meeting. A package given. A single mother who is in over her head, and an agent who doesn't want a partner. Forced to work together, Agent Mikaelson and Ms. Forbes discover, despite the odds, they are perfect partners on the job and off. Based on the tv show Scarecrow and Mrs. King.
1. The Meeting

**Happy 4th! Here is the next story I promised to get up! I know this chapter isn't very long, but no worries. This is only the introduction! There is a change in this story than previously! (If you noticed from the title!)**

 **THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ THIS!**

 **Please remember to review at the end! :)**

* * *

It had started off as an ordinary day for her, as ordinary as it could get for a woman who was a single mother of twins.

The cool brisk fall air surrounded her as she walked down the street to pick up the cheesecake her mother had wanted for some tea party later that afternoon.

Caroline smiled as she thought of her mother nearly in panic mode, running through the kitchen trying to make sure they had everything they needed for the party.

It wasn't supposed to be a big party, but for Elizabeth Forbes, it might as well be. Every party for her was a big thing, and Caroline did her best to oblige her mother, for after her breakup from Alan, she needed a place to stay to raise her ten year old daughters, and her mother welcomed them with open arms.

Caroline rounded the corner, and heard her phone ding for a new message, and she shifted to stand against the wall of the building to do a quick read, and smiled as she saw the message was from her mother.

 _Make sure it doesn't have any nuts. Velma is allergic._

Caroline chuckled, and nodded as she typed her reply. _I'll remember._

She sighed as she placed her phone back in her jacket pocket, and continued her stroll down the street. Her daughters, Lorrie and Leanne, were heading home in a carpool from school, and would be staying with friends until the morning, so that would give her and her mother the house to themselves, for a quiet party.

She lifted her wrist to glance at her watch, and smiled as she realized she needed to hurry to make it to the store in time. Normally, she would take her time down the street, but this was her mother's monthly tea party with some women from the Garden club, and it Elizabeth's time to host the party.

Her mother was worse than her when it was her time to host. Bridezilla didn't stand a chance against Elizabeth Forbes when a party was her responsibility. A trait Caroline wished she didn't inherit.

" _Mommy, everything is going to be alright."_

She smiled as her daughter's voice came into her head. Lorrie was always the sensible one. The one with wisdom beyond her years, while Leanne was a little more reckless at times, but nothing Caroline couldn't handle.

Her ex-boyfriend, Alan, was a world traveler, a famous photographer for a world renown magazine, and had a few exhibits of his own to brag on. They had been separated for three years, and Caroline still hadn't stepped out into the dating scene.

It wasn't a bad breakup, but it did hurt when he announced he wanted out of the relationship. She saw it coming for months, when he refused to call home when he had to jet off, and when he returned from some exotic place around the world with a trinket for the girls and her, as an apology.

She had been fed up, and so was he. They parted amicably, but the scars of the distance were always there, and when he was home, they were civil in front of the girls, who loved their daddy as much as he loved them.

Her steps slowed as she felt the wind blow around her, and breezed through her coat. "Geez," She muttered, holding the coat closer to her body, hoping against hope that she would make it to the store before she freezes in what was supposed to be a semi-warm day, but for some reason was turning cold.

Her thoughts were deterred when a body nearly slammed into her side. She grunted, and turned to nearly yell at the man, but his free hand lifted, and his blue eyes, (gorgeous blue eyes), gazed into hers.

"I need a favor."

Her eyes shifted from curious to a glare, and rolled her eyes. "Get lost." She stated, attempting to move past him.

He shook his head, and grasped her arm with his hand, causing her to shift her gaze down to his hand, and then back up to his eyes. "This is urgent, please." He begged his voice accented in a tense British tone, and she could tell he was not one to beg. "Please,"

She started to shake her head, but the look on his face said it all. He was scared, and time was ticking. "I can't believe this." She muttered, shaking her head. "What do you need me to do?" She asked, her eyes focused on his, hoping it wasn't something illegal. _Mother would love that._ She thought sarcastically.

He sighed, and pulled out a small package. "Please go down the street, and turn left at the bakery." He began to instruct her. "There will be a man in a red hat. Give this to him, please." He added, thrusting the package into her hands, and took off down the street.

She opened her mouth to holler at him, but her words failed her. She covered her mouth, trying to hold back the scream, just as he was tackled to the concrete below his feet, and two men proceeded to hit him.

"Oh, my..."

What had she just gotten herself into?

She rounded the corner to drop off the package, but no man in a red hat could be found.

A groaned escaped her mouth as she searched every inch of the area, looking for any sign of a man with a red hat or a red anything.

"What have you done, Caroline?" She asked herself, turning on her heel, and preceded to walk out of the alley, and down the street.

Holding the package close to her body, she walked towards her car.

Completely forgetting the cheesecake along the way.

Never realizing that a pair of feet were sticking out from behind the boxes in the alley. Feet that were not moving.

* * *

 **Please be kind!**

 **This story, though I am excited to write it, went through several changes for me. I couldn't stand the thought of Caroline being with anyone from the TVD verse, except Klaus, so I created Alan. I hope you approve!**

 **The next chapter will be up Friday, or sooner, if the mood suites! I'm hoping to update certain stories on Fridays, and perhaps update on Mondays, if I find time.**

 **Until Next Time...**


	2. Finding Ms Forbes

**I'm sorry I'm two weeks late on this, but I finally got my application and everything I needed for my Master's sent off, and now I'm waiting for a reply. *crossing fingers that I get in!***

 **THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT! IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME!**

 **Please remember to review at the end! :)**

* * *

"You gave classified information to a citizen!"

Agent Klaus Mikaelson frowned as his superior, Alaric Saltzman, glared at the man across the desk, a man who held the life and death of the agency in his hands.

Klaus focused on him, and gave a small shrug. "I couldn't make the drop, so I gave her the package." He began to explain. "It was a good thing I did too, because not two seconds, I was attacked." He added, glancing towards his superior.

The man frowned, and leaned back into his chair. "Could you trust this woman, Mikaelson?" He asked, curtly.

Klaus swallowed. "She seemed like a common everyday woman, so yes, I trusted her to deliver it." He answered, not adding that there was something in her eyes that made him want to trust her, and that was saying something, for he never trusted anyone.

"Need I remind you both of the leak that has been plaguing this agency, and that if this is not corrected, I will have no choice, but to terminate both of you." He stated, standing up, letting Klaus and Alaric focus on him, directly.

They nodded, and the man left the office, leaving Alaric to turn and face his protégé. "You took an awfully big risk, Hybrid." He remarked, grimly.

Klaus nodded, and sighed. "I know, but there was no other choice. It was either pass it on to a citizen or let them catch it." He began with a rough tone.

"Klaus, I know that Thomas was a friend." Alaric began, mentioning the man who had passed Klaus the information, and was killed for his efforts.

Klaus nodded, and sighed. "Yeah," He remarked, with hidden sadness, but quickly concealed it, not wanting his boss to know of his pain, which Alaric understood. He had worked with Klaus for too many years to know when Klaus wanted to keep a lid on his feelings.

Alaric moved towards the door, and opened it with a faint smile. "Just out of curiosity, who did you give the package to?"

Klaus paused, as he turned around, and the image of the woman's face flashed through his mind. "Just a common everyday blonde haired citizen," He answered with a faint wink, and walked out of the office.

Alaric chuckled, and shook his head. "Blonde haired citizen,"

 **~XXX~**

"I can't believe you forgot the cheesecake!" Liz ranted, throwing her hands in the air. "I told you not five minutes before you hung up that I needed that for the dinner this afternoon, and I even sent a text to you!" She added, with a glare at her daughter.

Caroline sighed, and shook her head, as she laid the package on the table, and took off her coat. "I'm sorry, mother, but I got distracted."

"Distracted?" Liz stated, placing her hands on the counter of the island. "Caroline, you've never been distracted in your life!" She nearly shouted, with a quizzical look.

Caroline nodded, and sighed. "I know, mother." She muttered, turning to face her mother.

Liz tilted her head to the side. "What happened?" She asked, watching her daughter carefully.

Caroline shrugged, and sighed. "Nothing of consequence," She answered, turning to lift a bowl from the cabinet, and placed it on the counter. "Shouldn't you be getting ready?" She asked, lifting her eyes to her mother.

Liz slowly nodded, and then let out a groan. "But what am I going to do without dessert?!" She shouted, after a moment.

Caroline sighed, and walked around the island. "Mom," She began, placing her hands on her mom's upper arms. "I'll make the cheesecake. It shouldn't take long. I have all of the ingredients, and it will be ready before six." She stated, glancing at the clock, which said three-thirty.

Liz started to open her mouth, but then closed it, as she let her head nod with a sigh. "Okay, I'll go finish up." She remarked, walking away from her daughter, after giving her a kiss on the cheek.

Caroline smiled as her mother left her alone, but it faded as she turned to the package on the counter.

What was she going to do?

 **~XXX~**

Klaus swallowed as he gazed at the body on the table. "Was there anything with him?" He asked, with a stiff voice.

The coroner lifted his eyes, and shook his head. "They didn't bring anything with him. Was he supposed to have something?" He asked, tilting his head to the side.

Klaus closed his eyes, and shook his head. "She didn't meet him." He muttered, turning on his heel, and left the room. "Damn it."

 **~XXX~**

The cheesecake had been a success, thankfully. Caroline had smiled as she accepted the compliments on the mixed berry New York style cheesecake, which she had put in the deepfreeze to make it stiffen quicker.

She glanced towards her mother, and watched her bask in the glow of yet another successful party. Shaking her head, she entered the kitchen with the empty dishes, and placed them in the sink. The package rested a few feet away, and she turned to focus her eyes on the simple brown parcel.

She had to figure out what to do with the simple object.

She may never see the blue-eyed stranger again, and for some reason that disturbed her.

"He was probably dangerous anyway." She muttered, rolling her eyes and shook her head. "Just my luck," She added, turning back to the dirty dishes.

But what if he wasn't?

 **~Next Morning~**

"Mom!"

Caroline smiled as she embraced her two little angels, and smiled up at their friend's mother. "Thank you for watching them."

The other woman smiled, and nodded. "It was no trouble at all. They were perfect darlings." She responded, kindly.

Caroline nodded, and turned to help her twins into the car, making sure they fastened their seat belts, before climbing into the driver seat. "Now, how about some burgers and shakes for lunch?" She asked, turning around to face her twins.

Lorrie and Leanne nodded, and laughed at their mother's request. "Love it!" They stated in unison, much to the delight of Caroline, who loved hearing them talk the same time. It wasn't necessarily a twin thing, but her daughters were best friends, and they loved doing things together, even though when they got older they may not want to.

"Alright, then let's go get some lunch." She remarked, turning around to face the steering wheel, a smile on her face the entire time. "Hamburgers it is." She whispered, driving down the street.

 **~XXX~**

Klaus entered the bakery, the final stop on his list, and smiled at the kindly older woman standing behind the counter.

"Welcome, what can I do for a strapping young man like you?" The woman began with a smile.

He returned the smile, and approached the counter with a quick glance towards the desserts in the freezer counter. "I'm looking for a woman." He began, lifting his eyes to the lady.

The lady tilted her head to the side, and a curious expression lined her face. "Well…" She began, her wrinkled eyes starting to sparkle.

He laughed, and dipped his head. "I, uh, bumped into her yesterday on the street, and we only talked for a few minutes, but I wanted to see her again." He began, giving a small white lie.

The woman placed her hands on the counter, and studied him. "You're not a killer, are you?" She asked, her voice taking a small dark tone.

He smiled, and shook his head. "No, I'm just a man who wants to see a beautiful woman for the second time today." He added, causing the woman to blush.

"Well, do you know her name?" She asked, after a moment.

Klaus shook his head. "Alas, I didn't ask for it." He answered, with mild dramatization, but the woman seemed to drink it up.

"Oh, dear, well, what did she look like?" She asked, and Klaus felt his heart speed up as he thought of the mystery blonde.

"She has blonde hair, blue-green eyes, about this tall," He began, lifting his hand to give an estimate of her height. "And she…has a beautiful smile." He added, mentally kicking himself for saying such a thing.

The woman tilted her head, trying to figure out who the woman was, and finally focused on Klaus. "The only woman I know of with that description is Caroline Forbes." She remarked, with a sad expression. "Lovely girl," She added, bowing her head.

Klaus noticed a change in the woman's demeanor, and tilted his head. "Why did you say it like that?" He asked, curiously.

She sighed, and lifted her head. "Because Caroline's boyfriend left her with twin daughters three years ago, and from what I hear, he doesn't even care about them." She remarked, in a gossipy tone. "He's a photographer, you see, and travels a lot, but doesn't pay anything for his daughters, so Caroline had to move in with her mother." She added, watching Klaus' expression closely.

Klaus nodded, and gave a smile to the lady. "Well, thank you for your information, ma'am." He remarked, backing up to head out the door.

"Are you still going to find her?"

He paused, and turned his head. With a smile he answered her question, "Definitely,"

 **~XXX~**

Caroline smiled as she settled her daughters' trays on the tables, and motioned for them to start as she headed back to get the condiments.

"You are a hard woman to track down."

She paused, and felt a shiver run down her spine at the British tone. She slowly turned, and her eyes caught his blue eyes, eyes that she remembered to vividly. "What the hell are you doing here?" She asked, glancing around, trying not to cause a scene in front of her daughters.

He sighed, and glanced towards the blonde haired twins in a booth not too far away from their location. "Your daughters?" He asked, noting how much that look like their mother.

She hummed. "Yes, and you still didn't answer my question." She answered, causing him to turn to look at her.

"Their beautiful," He remarked, absently.

She nodded, and smiled, a trait he realized brightened her entire features, not that it needed brightening. The smile dropped, and she straightened up, a defense trait he recognized all too well.

He sighed, and cleared his throat. "I need that package." He stated, watching her nod her head.

"Good, I don't want it." She stated, roughly.

He held out his hand, as if waiting for it, and she moved her eyes up and down.

"What? Do you think I'm stupid enough to bring it with me in hopes of running into you?" She asked, her voice filled with sarcasm.

He dropped his hand, and rolled his eyes. "Where is it?" He asked, watching her shake her head. "Caroline,"

Her eyes widened, and he mentally kicked himself. "Goodbye," She stated, turning away from him, but he wouldn't leave.

He had to have that package. "Caroline, I need that package." He remarked, just before she reached her daughters' table.

"Good, give me your address and I'll mail it." She stated, just before he grasped her arm, lightly.

"I need it now, please." He returned, watching her eyes move to his hand, and then up to his eyes.

"I don't have it. Now, let me go, I need to see about my daughters." She replied, holding his eyes.

Klaus' jaw clenched, and he shook his head. "I'll come by your house, and get it."

"You most certainly will not!" She nearly shouted, yanking her arm out of his grasp. "Leave me alone!" She stated, moving towards the table, and motioned for the girls to grab what they wanted, and ushered them out the door.

"Caroline!"

She turned, and quickly climbed into her car, cranked up, and started to drive out of the parking lot.

"Caroline!"

She let out a scream as he banged on the window, startling her, and causing her daughters to wave at him, not knowing what was going on.

"Leave me alone!" She shouted, and quickly drove away, ignoring her daughters' questions of who that man was and why was he trying so hard to talk to her.

One thing irked her by the time she made it home.

He knew her name, but she didn't have a clue as to who he was.

* * *

 **Please be kind!**

 **I tried to stay a little true to the show, since I love it so much, but Klaroline had other plans. Also, I wrote this in a little over an hour, so the grammar and what I initially wanted in here is a little rough, but I hope you enjoyed it!**

 **The other stories will get updates this weekend!**

 **Sneak Peek into the Next Chapter:**

 _"If you would have given me the package none of this would have happened!"_

 _Caroline rolled her eyes, and lowered them to focus on the piles of packages surrounding them. "Why do you have to be so stupid?"_

 _~XXX~_

 _"We are not partners, Caroline!" Klaus stated in a rough fashion._

 _She smiled, and shook her head. "If you say so, but what we've been doing these past few days seems like a partnership."_

 **Until Next Time...**


	3. Hunting the Package

**I'm sorry I left y'all hanging for so long! Time has not been my friend!**

 **THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT! IT MEANS SO MUCH!**

 **Please remember to review at the end! :)**

* * *

Now what was he going to do?

Klaus ran his hand over his face, and lightly cursed his predicament. How could he get her to talk to him?

He smiled, and shook his head.

He had her address and her phone number.

Getting into his corvette, he sighed, and cranked up. "You're not getting away that easily, Caroline Forbes." He replied to himself, and started down the road towards the home of one very beautiful woman.

 **~XXX~**

Caroline shook her head, and ran her fingers through her hair. How could she have done those things? He didn't seem like a killer, but all she could think of at the time was her daughters. She didn't want him near them, or did she?

She shook her head once again, and placed her hands on the counter, grateful that her mother took the girls upstairs for a bath. She needed time to think.

Her eyes drifted to the table, and frowned.

Where was the package?

 **~XXX~**

He noted how simple the house looked from the street with two stories and brick steps at the front door. He nodded at the roses that lined the front walk, and the small evergreens underneath the window at the front.

He circled around towards the back, and smiled at the neatly trimmed back yard. He frowned at how easily he made it to the back, and briefly thought of an intruder entering her back yard unnoticed, which was what he was doing.

He approached the back window, and slowly stepped around the shrubbery. Lifting his head up, he sighed as he saw her coming down the stairs into the kitchen to her right. He smiled as she lifted her eyes, and froze mid-step.

Her mouth opened, and closed, and she quickly turned her head around, trying to see if anyone was coming behind her. Closing her eyes, she let out a groan, and rushed towards the back door. The door opened, and Klaus turned to find her marching towards him with a fire in her eyes that made him smile even more.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She demanded, her eyes flashing.

He smiled, and folded his arms over his chest. "You wouldn't give me what I wanted."

She scoffed, and shook her head. "You never asked." She stated, crossing her arms over her chest. "Stating you want it isn't the same as actually asking for it." She added, watching him clench his jaw.

He bowed his head, and took a step towards her. "I need the package, Caroline." He remarked, in a sultry tone.

She swallowed, and shook her head. "I don't have it." She returned, lifting her head a little bit higher.

He frowned, and dropped his arms. "What do you mean, you don't have it?" He demanded.

She shifted on her feet, and averted her eyes. "I mean, I don't have it, not anymore." She answered, her body shifting.

He stepped closer to her, and his eyes narrowed. "Where is it?" He asked, watching her body hit a defense mode.

"Why should I tell you?" She asked, her voice full of agitation. "You're probably part of a mob or gang or something." She began to rant. "Why should I tell you where that package is?" She continued, turning away from him.

He scowled, and closed his eyes. "I'm not part of the mob, Caroline."

"And that's another thing." She began, interrupting him, and turning at the same time. "You know my name, but I don't know yours. What is it? Some big secret?" She asked, watching him, before holding up her hands.

He rolled his eyes. "My name is not a secret. You just never asked me for it." He returned, watching her lift her chin, and turn her head. "It's Klaus, and no, I'm not part of the mob or a gang." He added, watching her relax her posture for a brief moment. "I work for the government, and that package is part of national security." He confirmed, watching her eyes widen.

"You work for the government?" She asked in disbelief.

He nodded, and she closed her eyes.

"What are you? FBI? CIA? Interpol?" She asked, rattling off agencies, throwing her hands out.

He sighed, and turned his head. "No, I work for a secret agency." He answered, knowing this was going to be a long night.

She groaned, and bowed her head. "A spy?" She asked to no one in particular. "Are you telling me you're a spy?" She asked, lifting her head to look at him.

He sighed, and nodded. "I've never cared for that word."

"Oh my God!" She nearly shouted, turning away from him.

He shook his head, and sighed. "Caroline, do you want your mother to hear?" He asked, gripping her upper arms, and turned her to face him.

She swallowed, and cupped her hands over her face. "I…I…" She stuttered, not knowing what to say.

He nodded, and rubbed his thumbs over her shoulders. "I know. It's a shock, but…" He stopped when she began to laugh.

Caroline felt her body shake with laughter, and she closed her eyes. "Oh, I can't believe this." She laughed, stepping back from his touch. "I just can't believe…" She began again, and shook her head. "I thought you were with the mob or something, and I didn't know if I was going to see you again, so I…" She paused, covering her mouth with her hands. "I put my aunt's address on the box, and I left it on the table." She laughed, and turned from him.

Klaus felt his heart stop. Worry began to seep into his body. "You didn't…"

She nodded, and let out another laugh. "I did, and to top it off, my mother," She paused to let out a small laugh. "She…" She laughed some more. Klaus smiled at the sight of her smiling, and laughing, and nodded for her to continue. "She mailed it this morning." She concluded with a laugh which died down after a moment when she saw his face.

"She…mailed it!" He stated, his eyes widening, and his voice cracked with the anger he was feeling.

She straightened, and saw the terror and anger in his eyes. "I didn't know if I was going to see you again, and I didn't want that in my house, endangering my daughters!" She shouted, pointing to the house.

He frowned, and groaned, letting his right hand cover his eyes. "When and where did she mail it?" He asked, trying to control his temper.

She swallowed. "This morning. It should still be at the post office." She answered, with a slight smile, but he wasn't amused.

He gave her a curt nod, and turned away from her, pulling out his cellphone along the way. "Sir," He remarked, after he held the phone up to his ear for a second. "Yes, sir, I know it's late. No sir, I…Sir…" He stuttered, and Caroline tilted her head to the side. "It's at the Post Office." He remarked, turning his head to glare at her.

She shrugged her shoulders, and tugged her bottom lip between her teeth.

He groaned, and shook his head. "I know, sir. I know." He agreed, shaking his head, and threw it back, closing his eyes. "Yes, sir." He added, ending the call. "Well, that's it." He stated, shaking his head. He turned to face her, and she could feel the question he was about to ask.

"Oh no, you don't." She stated, backing up, lifting her hand.

"You're the only one who knows what it looks like." Klaus stated, watching her shake her head. "Caroline,"

She started to shake her head, but the pleading in his eyes made her groan. "I'm going to regret this, aren't I?" She asked, watching him smirk. "Damn it."

 **~XXX~**

She shook her head, and let out a groan. "I can't believe I let you talk me into this." She stated, holding the flashlight.

He rolled his eyes. "You didn't have to come." He stated, though that was a lie. He did need her to come. Blast it he needed her. He hated needing anyone.

She rolled her eyes towards him, and scoffed. "You…" She groaned, and closed her eyes. "Let's just bust in here, and get that damned package, so I can go home to my family." She stated, shaking her head.

He smirked, and juggled the knob. "I bet you never thought you would say that." He whispered, as she shook her head.

"I never thought I would do any of this." She returned, just as the door opened.

He nodded, and allowed her to go first. "Ladies first."

She rolled her eyes, and walked passed him. They entered the dispensary, and frowned as they took in the hundreds of packages around the room.

"Oh dear," Caroline whispered, turning her head to look at him.

Klaus frowned, and closed his eyes.

This was going to be a long night.

 **~XXX~**

Anger, frustration, fatigue. All those emotions just rang through them both as they looked through dozens of packages.

"You wrapped the damned thing." He stated, but she rolled her eyes.

"I did, but everyone uses the brown packaging for boxes nowadays." She returned, picking up another box, and placing it to the side.

He growled, and shook his head. "If you had just given me the package none of this would have happened!" He nearly shouted, glaring at her.

Caroline rolled her eyes, and lowered them to focus on the piles of packages on the floor. "Why do you have to be so stupid?" She asked, more to herself than to him.

He frowned, and turned to face her, dropping a package on top of the others. "If anyone is stupid here, it's you for mailing the damned thing in the first place." He stated, pointing his finger at her.

She placed her hands on her hips, and returned the glare. "You shouldn't have given it to me to begin with!" She replied, firmly.

"Well, I thought you would give it to the man in the alley not keep it." He nearly shouted, as she stepped around some boxes to meet him head on.

"I would have if he had been there!" She shouted back at him. "Believe me; I didn't want it, but you…" She trailed off, and growled, turning to face the packages to her right.

Klaus rolled his eyes, and turned to face his stack. Silence drifted between them, and though it should have been welcome, it wasn't.

"You're not a people person, are you?"

He frowned, and closed his eyes in frustration.

"Definitely not a people person," She stated, nodding her head in a curt way.

He shook his head, and turned to face her. "Don't you ever like the peace and quiet?" He asked, watching her tilt her head, and slowly turn to face him.

"No, as a matter of fact, I'm a friendly upbeat person, but you…" She answered, pointing her finger at him. "You are the surliest person I've ever met." She added in frustration.

He narrowed his eyes, and stepped towards her. "For your information, I have to be this way for my job. It's not pleasant, Caroline." He stated, shaking his head.

She shook her head, and crossed her arms. "Neither are you, Klaus." She stated, her eyes focusing on him.

He frowned, and held her eyes with his. "I can be pleasant."

"Oh, really?" She asked, leaning back as her head nodded, with a sarcastic look on her face. "From what I've seen, you only excel at one thing." She stated, as he smirked.

"What's that?" He asked, folding his arms over his chest.

She shook her head, and held his eyes. "Annoy people," She answered, smirking.

His smirk faded, but a sparkle touched his eyes. She was amusing. He'd give her that. "Are you done?" He asked, watching her smirk turn into a smile. "Because I would like to find the package before we get caught and thrown in jail." He added, watching her eyes sparkle with a joyous light.

She held in her laugh, and quickly sobered up, before turning to investigate more packages. "I am sorry about this." She apologized after a moment.

He sighed, and bowed his head. "I'm sorry I involved you." He returned, causing her to turn to face him with a soft smile. "Out of curiosity, what did you tell your mom you were doing tonight?" He asked, as Caroline stilled in her actions and swallowed, hard.

"I, uh, told her I was helping out a friend from my club." She answered, lifting up a package.

He smiled, and nodded. "And she bought that?" He asked, turning his head to look at her.

She sighed, and closed her eyes. "I've never lied to her before." She responded, softly.

He sighed, and moved towards her. "Hey, it's for her own good, Caroline." He remarked, gently. "Telling her the truth…" He began, but she nodded, stopping his words.

"I know." She responded, lowly. "It would endanger her." She finished for him.

He nodded, and sighed, sadly as she continued her search, silently wishing he never involved her, because she was too good a woman to be involved in something like this.

 **~XXX~**

"I'm sorry." She began, shaking her head. "I'm sorry we didn't find the package."

Klaus sighed, and put his car in gear. "It's okay, Caroline."

She shook her head, and bowed it. "No, it's not, Klaus." She began, but he lifted his hand to stop her next words.

"I should never have involved you, Caroline. It's that simple."

She nodded, but she knew it wasn't that simple. "Well, if you ever need anything…" She began, but he stopped her.

"No, I won't involve you in this further." He returned, turning his head to look at her.

She smiled, deciding silently that he wasn't that bad of a person. "Still," She replied, climbing out of the car, and closed the door.

Before she could turn to say goodbye, he drove off, leaving her on the side of the curb with her hand in the air like an idiot.

"You are an idiot, Caroline." She whispered to herself. "A pure and simple idiot."

As she entered the house, she sighed. She would never see him again. That much she knew.

What she didn't know was how wrong she truly was.

 **~The Next Night~**

"Tell her, Lea."

Caroline smiled as she tucked in her daughters in bed. "Tell me what, sweetie." She said, gently.

Lorrie frowned at her sister, and motioned to their mother. "Tell her, Lea." She stated once more.

Leanna sighed, and bowed her head. "I'm sorry, mommy." She remarked, slowly. "I opened it."

Caroline frowned. "Opened what, sweetie?" She asked, absently.

Leanna lowered her eyes, ashamed for what she had done. "I opened the present on the table." She answered, ashamedly. "I didn't mean to, but I was curious, and it had Auntie Loo's name on it."

Caroline swallowed, and touched her daughter's head, gently. "It's okay, sweetie." She reassured her near sobbing daughter. "What did you see?" She asked, as her daughter lifted her tear-filled eyes, and bit her bottom lip, a trait she inherited from her mother.

"All it had were names and letters." Leanna responded, glancing at her hands as she was sitting up against the headboard of her bed.

Caroline closed her eyes. "Can you remember exactly what you saw?" She asked, as her daughter looked to her sister, and sighed.

"She wrote it down." Lorrie stated, firmly, reminding Caroline of her mother. "Show her, Lea."

Leanna sighed, and lifted a piece of paper from her storybook, which was sticking out, and handed it to her mother. "I'm sorry, mommy." She remarked, handing it to Caroline.

Caroline smiled at her, and kissed her on the head. "Just don't do it again, okay, sweetie?" She asked, gently, yet firmly.

Leanna nodded, and bowed her head. "Yes, mommy," She responded, with a slight pout.

Caroline smiled, and kissed her once more, before kissing her other daughter goodnight, and stepped out into the hallway with the piece of paper in her hand.

"Thank God for inquisitive minds." She whispered, before going down the hall.

She had a spy to call.

* * *

 **Please be kind!**

 **This week has been hectic for me. You guys have no idea. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I wrote while it was slow at work.**

 **Sneak Peak into Next Chapter:**

 _"You called me down here to tell me that."_

 _She glared at him. "Well I thought you would like to know what was in that damned package!" She shouted, her anger getting the best of her._

 _He rolled his eyes. "God, if you weren't so beautiful..."_

 **Until Next Time...**


	4. Retrieving the Code

**Yet another one I have left in the lurch for over a year! I'm so sorry!**

 **THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT! IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME! :)**

 **Please remember to review at the end! :)**

* * *

He waited in the backyard of her home, hating that she had gotten involved even more. He had told her to stay out of it, but when she had called him last night, he couldn't refuse.

Something about her drew him to her, and he couldn't understand what it was. She was an innocent. A woman who had a family and a light that made him smile in spite of himself.

"You can come in. Mother took the girls shopping and to the movies this morning."

He turned to find the back door opened and the object of his thoughts stood under the threshold. He smiled and moved to the door. "I thought I told you to stay out of this." He remarked, moving into the living room.

Caroline rolled her eyes, as she closed the door. "If I had stayed out of it, I wouldn't have known that my daughter opened the package, and saw the list inside." She began, turning to find him whirling around with shock on his face.

"Your daughter opened a top-secret package?" He asked, his voice on edge.

Caroline folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. "She didn't know that it was top secret. She thought it was a present, and you better be damn grateful that she did." She returned, her stance getting defensive.

Klaus groaned, and his shoulders deflated. This woman pushed all of his buttons in more ways than one, and it irritated him. "Fine, what did she see?" He asked, folding his arms across his chest.

She rolled her eyes. "You know I didn't have to call you." She remarked before she glared at him.

He lowered his head and breathed out. "Caroline," He began, but she continued with her mini-rant.

"I mean, I could have just left it alone." She began, and he lifted his head.

"You should have!" He shouted, and she marched towards him.

"Maybe next time I should." She stated, roughly, glaring at him.

"What next time?" He asked, his eyes hard.

Caroline faltered back a fraction. "I…" She began, opening her mouth to try to continue, but then huffed, and turned away from him.

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Caroline…" He began, reaching for her, turning her back to face him. "It's not that I don't appreciate the effort. I do, but this is dangerous, very dangerous." He explained, peering into her eyes.

Caroline saw the fear and worry. No one ever worried about her, well with the exception of her mother, but not even her ex worried. It gave her some ounce of comfort that he worried about her. A complete stranger. A very handsome complete stranger. Stepping back from his touch, she turned to reach for the piece of paper with the information and handed it to him. "This is all she could remember. Actually, she remembered all of it. She has a great memory, in fact. I think she gets it from me. In fact, she wrote it down. I re-wrote it so you could read it." She continued, bragging on her daughter just a little.

"You called me down here just to tell me that."

She glared at him. "Well, I thought you would like to know what was in that damned package!" She barely shouted, her anger getting the best of her, even after letting him know that she had gotten his info, the light didn't seem to fade from her eyes, though.

The light left Klaus speechless as he gazed at her. If he thought she was beautiful before, she was ravishing now, even dressed in simple jeans and an oversized shirt with her hair pulled back in a low bun. He accepted the note from her hand and tore his eyes away from her. The names he vaguely recognized but the symbols beside them did not ring a bell. He shook his head. This was nonsense. Utter nonsense.

"Well?" She inquired, waiting for something, anything to let her know that she had done the right thing.

He shrugged his shoulders. "The names I recognize but other than that…" He remarked, shaking his head.

She lowered her eyes. "What are you going to do?"

He lowered his hands from his pockets. "I'll run the symbols through our database and see what we come up with, but other than that…" He paused, lifting his shoulders.

"That's it?" She asked, her brows lifted.

He smirked. "What did you think was going to happen?" He asked, with a small laugh. "That I would go sailing off into the night with the information on some secret mission with guns blazing, wearing a tuxedo." He mocked, remembering the old James Bond movies.

She scoffed and folded her arms across her chest. "No, I was just wondering if that was all…" She trailed off, as he began to shake his head. "I'm worried." She whispered, lowering her eyes.

He watched her, carefully. "Your family is safe, Ms. Forbes. I promise." He remarked, firmly.

She lifted her eyes and she licked her lips. "How do you know? You don't even know what you've got there." She fought back, jutting her chin out with a hard glare.

He rolled his eyes. "God, if you weren't so beautiful…" He uttered, turning his head away, hoping she didn't hear him.

Her eyes widened at his words. She did hear him. "What's that got to do with anything?" She asked, her voice coming out in breaths.

He turned his attention back to her. "What's what got to do with anything?" He asked, nonchalantly.

She moved closer. "You said if I wasn't so beautiful…" She began, as her eyes caught his.

He swallowed. "Nothing," He answered, wanting to step back, but her eyes kept him glued to the spot. She was beautiful. The most beautiful creature he ever beheld… Oh God, what was he thinking?! One look into her sea green eyes, and he was almost quoting Shakespeare. He needed to get out of here and fast.

Even though he knew he had to, he couldn't move. It was strange. This woman was nearly a complete stranger, and yet he felt a kinship with her. She was risking her life just to get him this information. That said so much to him.

In the silence of the house, they stood there, completely lost in each other's eyes. It was strange what they were feeling and yet it felt so right.

The slamming of the door made them snap out of their bubble, and Klaus realized his hand had lifted to caress her face and her hands had been placed on his chest. How did that happen?

"That can't be mom and the girls…" She gasped, turning to rush to the front window. "Oh damn, it is." She exclaimed, turning to face him. "Out the back…please."

He nodded and turned to head out the door. He stopped in the garden and watched, inconspicuously through the window as she switched from a woman to a daughter and mom in two seconds. He had to smile as she wrapped her girls up in her arms and kissed them with a smile.

She truly was beautiful.

And he was getting in too deep.

 **~XXX~**

"Do the names mean anything?" Klaus asked, watching the cybertech run them through the database.

"We'll find out soon. The way it's worded could mean anything. I'm not sure." The young man revealed, with a defeated tone. "I'll let you know the moment I have something, Agent Mikaelson."

Klaus nodded and headed back to his desk. Some work. They didn't know what the code meant if it meant anything, and his comrades were being killed off left to right. Someone was leaking the information to insurgents or God knows who, and they were killing the people in this top-secret agency.

What was he going to do?

 **~XXX~**

Since meeting Klaus, Caroline thought her life would just return back to normal. Unfortunately, she was wrong. She now knew the world was not what she thought it was. There were spies. There was a danger. Her family was in danger, perhaps not extremely, but still…

She found herself looking out the windows, suspicious of the cars passing down the street, of the mailman who she had known for years. It was foolish, but she couldn't get it out of her head.

"Snap out of it, Caroline." She muttered to herself, on a quiet day when her daughters were out with her mom for shopping and a trip to the zoo. It was one of those rare days where she could get some housework done.

"Your family is safe. There is no danger. Snap out of it." She stated, slapping her face with her soapy hand, from the dishwater.

"You know you could be certified just for talking to yourself."

She turned and leaned against the sink. She smiled and dipped her head. "I thought I have seen the last of you." She remarked, wiping her hands off with a towel.

He sighed dramatically. "Alas, no such luck." He returned with a flare.

She laughed, as he came further into the kitchen. "What do you need, Klaus?" She asked, noticing his worry lines on his face.

The smile faded from his face and he sighed. "I need help."

She dropped the towel on the counter. "I thought you didn't want my help." She stated, firmly.

He rolled his eyes. "This is different." He began, though not entirely sure why he said it that way. It was different in the fact that he was welcoming her help.

"How is it different?" She asked, carefully.

He swallowed. "Because I'm asking." He answered, sighing.

She studied him. "Why me?"

He moved closer to her. "Because, at the moment, I don't know who I could trust." He answered, truthfully. "There is a leak at the agency and I don't know who to completely trust at this point." He remarked, stopping next to the island across from her. "You are not part of the agency, but I feel I can trust you." He added, holding her eyes.

"Will this endanger my family?" She asked, and he smiled at her question. "I'm serious, Klaus. Will it endanger them?"

He shook his head. "The only one who knows I'm here is my boss, the only one I trust with my life." He stated, firmly. "Your family is in no danger." He added, shaking his head with affirmation.

That seemed to give her some comfort. "What do you need?" She asked, after a moment.

He lifted his left hand, holding a folder. "Fresh eyes,"

 **~XXX~**

"Your database couldn't come up with clues for the names?" She asked, handing him a cup of tea.

He shook his head. "A few of the names didn't register. Some did. They were the names of the agents killed, but the symbols don't make any sense." He answered, leaning back.

They had been at it for several hours, and the closest they had gotten was figuring out the names of the agents killed, which was a huge stretch.

Caroline studied the man beside her. He was tired, worn, and ragged. This assignment was taking its toll on him, she could tell. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Turning her head, she lifted the paper with the symbols and narrowed her eyes.

They looked familiar. Very familiar.

Lowering her cup to the table, she stood up and headed for the bookshelf on the other side of the room. Why did they look familiar?

With a steady hand, she pulled a single book from the shelf and opened the pages to surf through them. She smiled. "That's why." She remarked, excitedly.

Klaus opened his eyes and groaned. "That's why what?" He asked, straightening. The days without sleep had finally started to catch up to him.

She rushed towards him and handed him the book. "The reason the symbols don't make any sense is that they are a mixture of hieroglyphs." She explained, pointing to the symbols on the page. "This is Egyptian. This one is Mayan. This one looks like Incan. They are mixed together." She continued, with a smile.

He lifted his eyes to hers and frowned. "How did you…?" He began, and she blushed.

"I took archaeology courses when I studied in college, along with a few dead languages. I'm out of practice, but…" She trailed off when she caught the look of pride on his face.

"Archaeology and dead languages, huh?" He asked though it wasn't much of a question.

She smiled. "I've always been fascinated by them."

"Well, Ms. Forbes, I learn something new about you every day." He observed, with a smile that showed off his dimples.

She lowered her eyes and focused on the images. "Who sent the message?" She asked, absently.

Klaus' eyes clouded, and he glanced at the book. "His name was Thomas. They killed him after he gave me the message. I'm not sure where he got the information." He explained, carefully.

She placed her hand on his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Was he a friend?" She asked, gently.

He nodded. "He was." He uttered, trying not to choke.

"I'm sorry." She comforted, as best as she could.

He shook his head. "He knew the risks."

She read the pain in his tone. "Still…" She replied, trying any attempt to comfort him. She didn't say much after that. Her words hung in the air as she read his face.

He shifted to look at her and noticed the compassion on her face. He felt oddly touched by her compassion and yet it didn't surprise him. "I won't let anything happen to you, Caroline. I promise." He vowed, holding her eyes with his.

"I know." She replied, with a soft smile.

Silence encompassed them as they studied the symbols and pieced together the words.

"What time is your mother and the girls coming back?" He asked, absently.

She stood up abruptly and gasped as she glanced at her watch. "Oh, damn!" She shrieked, whirling around. "They'll be home any minute." She ran her fingers through her hair and glanced at him.

He sighed and slowly stood up. Grasping her arms with his hands, he held her still as he gazed into her eyes. "Caroline, love, calm down." He remarked, with a gentle smile.

She heard the word love and felt her heart skip a beat. "Well, they can't see you here." She began, watching him smirk. "What?" She asked, watching him carefully.

He lowered his hands. "Why don't you say that we are doing research?" He asked, watching her eyes pop before she seemed to relax. "That way we can finish what we started, and it won't be a total lie." He added, watching her carefully.

She sighed and smiled. "Are you sure that's going to work? I don't want my family in danger." She returned, firmly.

He smirked, letting one of his dimples show in response. "Caroline, I would not have suggested it if I didn't think they would be." He answered, truthfully.

She smiled and bowed her head. "Thank you."

He nodded, and together they sat down on the couch, waiting for the inevitable.

 **~XXX~**

The girls were excited to see their mom with someone who spoke with an accent, not to mention he was easy on the eyes. Her mother was a little shocked but it faded to a friendly demeanor when Caroline explained that his visit wasn't planned.

The story Klaus told them was a little out of the box that he was a student of languages, and he needed Caroline's help in deciphering a few words for his project.

Caroline groaned when after her mother and the girls went upstairs to bed.

"I thought it went well," Klaus remarked, with a smug look on his face.

Caroline glared at him and shook her head against the cushions. "My mother is probably thinking I'm down here entertaining you." She remarked, frowning even more.

He smiled and touched her hand. "She knows better, Caroline." He returned, as she leaned up. "Besides, your family is charming." He added as he continued to read the glyphs on the page.

"Thanks," Caroline replied, with a smile. "Do you have a family?" She asked, and noticed him stiffen. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

He shook his head. "They are back in England, at the moment. I have four brothers and one sister and a domineering mother who wants me to settle down." He explained, with a laugh.

"Do they know about your job?" She asked, carefully.

"No," He paused, writing a word he found down. "I didn't want to endanger them any further."

She smiled in understanding. "That's understandable." She complied, as they continued to work in silence.

They continued for a few more hours before Klaus stood and glanced at his watch. "I better head back to my apartment." He replied, moving to the back door. "Thank you for your help, Caroline. I do appreciate it." He spoke in gratitude. "I'll come back tomorrow if that's alright…" He trailed off watching her face turn to a thoughtful expression.

"My girls have a meeting in the morning that I have to attend, but I should be back around 1 or so. Mom will take them out." She explained, with a careful smile.

He nodded. "I'll see you at one then." He smiled, opening the door. "Good night, Caroline."

She waved, as he disappeared into the night. "Good night, Klaus."

* * *

 **Please be kind!**

 **I'm working, tirelessly on getting more updates completed before my next class begins in a few days. Hopefully, I'll have a few stories wrapped up by next month! (That's my goal, anyway!)**

 **Next Chapter: Breaking the Code**

 _"Mother, he is just a friend."_

 _"Yeah, a friend who looks at you like a brand new penny in his hand."_

 _Caroline rolled her eyes. "Mother..."_

 _Elizabeth laughed. "Don't underestimate the power of a man's attraction. He is attracted to you as you are him. A mother knows."_

 **Until Next Time...**


	5. Breaking the Code

**Sorry for the length in between update, but life has been busy, as always with me.**

 **THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT! IT MEANS SO MUCH!**

 **Please remember to review at the end! :)**

* * *

The meeting the next morning took too long for Caroline's piece of mind. It was a Girl Scouts meeting, discussing the next adventure in the way of a camping trip. Her girls were excited and she had been too, but at the present, her mind could not comprehend the dates they were throwing out or the glances her way for confirmation.

Her mind was only focused and geared towards the man she was set to meet at one.

As the meeting ended, she nodded towards the other mothers, blandly promising to look over the details and get back to them as soon as she could.

One mother, a woman by the name of Chloe stopped her before she could leave and the sincerity in her eyes gave Caroline pause.

"Are you alright?" Chloe asked, her southern drawl coming out, for she had moved from Louisiana a few years back with her husband and little girl to D.C.

Caroline nodded. "Yes, I just have a lot on my mind." She responded, gathering her purse in her arms.

Chloe narrowed her hazel eyes and frowned. "You seemed a bit distracted today, honey. That's not like you." She remarked with full concern.

"I've…been helping a friend with some work he's doing and it's got me thinking about a lot of things," Caroline revealed, gently.

Chloe smiled and nodded. "I take it. This…friend is very attractive."

Caroline opened her mouth to answer, but the blush on her cheeks gave the other woman an answer.

"Good for you, Caroline." Chloe congratulated. "It's high time you found someone."

"Oh, …it's not like that. I mean…" Caroline paused, biting her lip. "He is attractive, but…" She continued, her mind trying to form the words.

Chloe picked up the subtle hint. "You're not sure…" She drawled out.

Caroline lowered her eyes and glanced at her watch. "I have to go." She revealed, turning slightly.

Chloe touched her arm, and her eyes spoke volumes. "If you like him, tell him." She advised, gently. "You never know what tomorrow is going to bring and it may be too late." She added, dropping her arm before heading off to speak with another mother in the group.

Caroline watched her go with a twinge of pain in her heart. She did like Klaus. She did find him attractive, but they were only working together. They weren't even complete friends. They had only known each other for a week.

And yet, she knew without a doubt that she could trust him with her life and the lives of her family.

She helped her daughters in the car and slowly slid in the driver seat. Her mind addled with thoughts of what was going to happen when he had finished deciphering the note with her help.

Would she even see him again?

She sighed and slowly began the drive home.

How did she even get into this mess?

 **~XXX~**

Klaus picked up the phone in his office and glanced at the clock. He had an hour before he had to meet her and though he knew it was business, he felt anxious about seeing her again.

He was attracted to her. That much was certain. He was attracted and that was dangerous. His business could not allow for emotional entanglements.

He did know of several other agents in the office who had spouses, and those spouses did know little of what they did, but he had seen too many spouses fall apart when their wives or husbands were killed in duty.

He couldn't do that to the woman he loved. He couldn't risk it.

Yet, his mind and body felt connected to the blonde woman he was meeting with in an hour. She occupied his thoughts day and night.

He trusted her.

She trusted him.

But this was business.

Wasn't it?

"Alaric here."

"Sir, I'll be leaving in thirty for a meeting," Klaus remarked, not going into detail. He wasn't sure if the office was bugged.

"How's it going?" Alaric asked, attempting to keep his voice calm.

"Almost there, sir. I should have more to go on by this afternoon." He answered, knowing and hoping it wasn't a lie.

"Good to hear. Keep me posted, Klaus."

"Yes, sir."

Klaus sighed as the phone was placed on the hook and he groaned, leaning back in his chair. "I hope so."

 **~XXX~**

"Is that handsome young man coming this afternoon again?" Liz asked, watching her daughter carefully.

Caroline nodded. "We've almost finished the project; it's due soon." She answered, keeping up the story.

Liz nodded and leaned against the island in the kitchen as Caroline stirred the lemonade in the pitcher. "And he's just a friend…"

Caroline paused and swallowed. "Yes, he's just a friend." She barely got out. "Mother, he is just a friend."

"Yeah, a friend who looks at you like a brand-new penny in his hand."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Mother…"

Elizabeth laughed. "Don't underestimate the power of a man's attraction. He is attracted to you as you are to him. A mother knows." Liz stepped forward to place her hands on her daughter's upper arms. "Oh, darling, you know I want you to be happy. I know you love the girls and me but you need something more than us."

"Mom…" Caroline began, slowly turning to face her mother. "Klaus is a friend. That's all. Besides…" She paused, lowering her eyes. "His work won't allow emotional entanglements."

Liz studied her daughter. "Did he tell you that?"

Caroline shook her head. "No, but I figured as much." She answered, leaning against the counter. "His work keeps him…busy." She continued, going for most of the truth as possible.

Liz smiled and touched her daughter's cheek. "Sometimes, it takes the right woman to make a man see what he's missing and what he's losing."

Caroline tilted her head to the side. "Mom," She paused, shaking head. "I hate it when you get philosophical."

Liz smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Comes from studying philosophy and from life."

Caroline laughed and pulled her mom in her arms, grateful that she didn't have to lie to her, not completely, and that her mother seemed to understand.

 **~XXX~**

He came through the front door this time, just because he knew her mom and daughters had not left yet. He smiled as the little girls ran up to him and greeted him excitedly, having decided that if their mom was happy then they were happy.

He nodded to Liz who sent him a secretive smile and they all turned to say goodbye to Caroline who hugged her daughters and gave them each a kiss on the cheek.

"Have fun, my lovelies!" She cried out as they loaded up in the car outside and finally drove off. She sighed and closed the door before turning to find him standing beside the staircase with a smile on his face. "What?"

He shrugged and took off his coat. "Nothing,"

"It's not 'nothing' when you smile, Klaus." She remarked, leaning against the door.

He smirked and placed his jacket over the railing of the stairs. "Okay, it's just refreshing to see a mother love her children like you do." He revealed, catching her eyes.

She hummed and studied him. He looked worn. More worn than yesterday. "Did you sleep at all?" She asked, changing the subject.

He shook his head. "Not much."

She pushed away from the door and approached him. "You need sleep, Klaus."

He glanced in her direction and sighed. "I need to find answers, Caroline."

Answers…

She sighed and nodded. "I already have the books laid out."

He followed her into the living room and smiled at how well organized she seemed to be. He slowly sat down and leaned back with his head resting on the back of the couch.

"Why don't you rest?" She offered, sitting next to him. "I'll decipher what I can and besides it will do you no good if you don't rest and gather your strength." She stated in a motherly tone.

He had opened his eyes and stared at her. He wanted to argue, but the kindness and determination on her face made him bite his tongue. Too long had he been running here and there trying to find the link between the murders and the insurgents. He did need rest and for reasons unknown, this was the best place to do it. "Okay…"

She smiled and stood up. She waited for him to lay down and she hummed, pulling a blanket up over his body.

He was asleep in two seconds.

 **~XXX~**

Caroline placed her pen down beside her work and leaned back in the chair. The words had been deciphered and though she should have been pleased.

She wasn't.

They didn't make any sense.

"Sun…noon…water…" She read with ease. It had taken time to remember the words she had learned as a student in the languages class. She recalled how her teacher had said she had a knack for those languages. She could read anything she set her mind to.

The name beside those three words froze her mind and picking up the pen, she wrote the thought crossing through her mind.

She needed Klaus, but she hated to disturb him.

Trying to remember what he said about some of the names, she wrote the answer down.

"It can't be that simple." She muttered, shaking her head. Lifting her eyes to the living room, she sighed. "But it can."

Gradually standing, she walked carefully into the living room and stood behind the couch for a moment.

He looked so peaceful in his sleep. Handsome and still his features gave the impression of danger. It was the kindness in the lines around his mouth that made her trust him. The hard lines around his eyes given from long hours at the office. He moaned in his sleep and it caused her to smile.

Turning, she entered the kitchen and placed a kettle of water on the stove and turned it on. Hot tea, that's what they needed.

She felt him standing behind her before she turned around. "I thought some tea would help." She remarked, lowly.

Klaus moaned and yawned before leaning against the island. "Tea would be lovely." He concurred, watching her turn. "I'm sorry that I fell asleep."

"I told you to sleep." She interrupted, with a smile.

He smiled with a breathless laugh. "How long was I out?"

She shrugged. "Three hours."

His eyes widened. "Three hours…" He exclaimed, but her hands lifted before he could continue ranting.

"You needed it, and besides," She began, moving from the kitchen to the dining room to pick up her notes with him right behind her. "I finished the encryption."

His eyes moved from her to the note. He couldn't believe it. She did it. His eyes moved back and forth in mild disbelief before he let out a relieved sigh and pulled her into his arms and held her close. "Oh, Caroline,"

She gasped, feeling her body flame at the closeness of his and his arms surrounding her. She wrapped her arms around him and let him congratulate her in a way that stunned her into silence.

He pulled back and his eyes caught hers. Her sea-green eyes matched his cerulean blues. Pleasure, gratitude, and something else…

Her hands rested on his shoulders and his rested on her waist. Flames burned between them in a slow simmer and it burned them, wanting them to put it out. They didn't know who moved first but soon they were only a breath apart with their noses brushing over each other.

Caroline's breathing stopped in her chest and she felt her heart pound as if would burst. Just a fraction more…

They seemed frozen in the spot with both breathing out in pant and their foreheads touching ever slightly. Their noses were brushing lightly over each other, touching briefly on the cheeks.

"Caroline…" He breathed, wanting to pull back, but the fire was too strong.

"Klaus…" She returned, knowing that this was dangerous.

Just before either one could move, the kettle whistled and she swallowed before reluctantly pulling back to run and get the kettle.

Klaus inhaled deeply not turning to watch her go, instead of trying to gather his senses. How could she affect him so? Judging by her reaction, she felt it too, but this was not the time.

There was too much danger and he couldn't risk her or her family.

In the kitchen, Caroline was gathering her strength. The attraction she felt between them made her body warm and wanting. She didn't truly understand it, but she did know that no matter what, she couldn't go down that road.

Not yet.

She paused with the cup in mid-air. Not yet…

She let out a breath and realized that even after he had completed this mission, she may never see him again.

That hurt more than refusing to act on the attraction they clearly felt for each other. Straightening, she poured the water in the cups and fixed the tea, pouring honey into hers and his.

"I hope you like honey in your tea." She remarked, thankful that her voice was strong when she entered the dining room again.

Klaus was studying the paper and slowly lifted his eyes. "Caroline, you did it."

She nodded. "I know, but what exactly did I do?" She asked, passing him the tea.

He set it down. "Each name is an agent, which we already knew."

"Yes…" She drawled out, taking a sip from her cup.

He inhaled and pointed to the symbols. "You wrote Sun, Noon, Water, next to Yosef's name." He remarked as she leaned closer. "Yosef was found two days after he went missing. He was supposed to be meeting a contact the Sunday before at Noon by the River." He explained, turning to her.

She gasped and her eyes widened. "That means that each one of these…"

"Is the answer I've been looking for." He replied, with mild happiness.

She smiled held his eyes. "Glad I could help."

He faced her completely and smiled. "You did more than help, Caroline."

She felt a blush tinge her cheeks and she dipped her head.

He took the cup from her hands and grasped them in his, catching her eyes. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I couldn't have done it without you."

She laughed and tossed her head even though her hair was pulled into a low bun. "You could have, but I think you would have taken a lot longer."

He laughed and nodded. "Possibly,"

Her smile faded. "Well, you have your answers. Now, what are you going to do?" She inquired, searching his eyes.

He sighed and stepped back. "I have to tell my boss, but I'm not sure what the next step would be." He answered, running his eyes over the decrypted words.

"What about the other names?"

"Some were MI6 agents, and some were agents from different countries who were visiting the States on official business," Klaus revealed, knowing beyond a doubt he could trust her. "Even if these are encrypted, we still don't know how they are getting the information or where the information is delivered."

"But you have a step. Isn't that good news?" She replied, trying to help out.

He smiled. "Yeah, but with answers are more questions."

"You'll find them." She stated with confidence.

He turned to find her eyes shining with trust. "Why do you trust me, Caroline?" He asked, out of the blue.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I probably shouldn't, but…" She trailed off, moving the papers into a neat pile. "Something about you makes me want to trust you, so I do." She stated, placing the papers in the folder. "After all, you are not a villain in this story, are you?"

He smiled, taking the folder from her hands. "I sure hope not, otherwise, you would be in trouble."

She laughed. "Even if you were a villain, Klaus. You wouldn't hurt me."

He tilted his head to the side. "And why is that, Ms. Forbes?"

She stepped closer and her eyes became dark. "Because no one messes with a mother." She stated, darkly, before giving him a wink, leaving him in the dining room with a smile on his lips and a chuckle in his throat.

* * *

 **Please be kind!**

 **I spent the day writing for this story as I want to finish it, so the next chapter is ready for upload, but I'm going to wait a few days before I upload. If that's okay.**

 **Next Chapter: Save a Friend**

 _"They shot at us!" Caroline shouted, her body shaking._

 _"Yes, Caroline, they shot at us!" Klaus snapped. "You shouldn't have come!"_

 _"If I hadn't, then that bullet would have gotten you!" She shouted back, and he knew she was right. "Where are we going?" She asked, glancing behind them and gasped as she saw a car on their tail._

 _He groaned. "I don't know, but this…car won't go too fast!"_

 _She rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't have time to car shop for a faster car before coming to save your ass!"_

 _"You didn't have to come at all!"_

 _"I couldn't let my friend get killed!"_

 **Hope you liked the sneak peak...**

 **Until Next Time...**


	6. Save a Friend

**Ah, the next chapter as promised!**

 **THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT! IT MEANS SO MUCH! :)**

 **Please remember to review at the end! :)**

* * *

It had been a week since she had seen him and for reasons she didn't quite understand, she missed him.

Her daughters asked where her friend was and even her mother inquired after him, but all Caroline could say was that he was finishing up his assignment, which was the truth to a degree.

Ever since that day in the dining room when she came merely millimeters from a scorching kiss, she felt that something had shifted between them, and still she wanted more than an affair.

She trusted him. She wanted his friendship. She gathered from their brief time that he didn't have many friends, and she wanted to change that.

Picking up the phone, she dialed the number he had given her and waited.

" _IFF, Marilyn speaking, how may I direct your call?"_

Caroline rolled her eyes. Marilyn was not a pleasant person to speak to. "Yes, this Caroline Forbes calling for Klaus Mikaelson." She answered, skipping the formalities.

" _One moment, please…"_ Came the stiff reply.

IFF was the cover for his work and Marilyn, who apparently was a guardian of sorts, always answered the phones. She refused to let Caroline through without the proper authorization, but authorization had been granted, and Marilyn had no choice.

Caroline had never met her, but she suspected that she was a crotchety old bat with no friends and no social life.

" _I'm sorry, Mr. Mikaelson, has stepped out for the moment. May I take a message?"_

Caroline sighed. "No, just tell him Caroline called, please."

" _Yes, ma'am."_

Caroline opened her mouth to say something else, but the line went dead. "Have a nice day to you." She muttered, lowering the phone.

"Mommy, we're ready."

Caroline shifted and smiled as her daughters stood before her in khakis and button-down green shirts and boots. They looked like they were going on an expedition when really, they were going to the museum.

She smiled and approached them, wearing a similar outfit. They were still at the age when they all wanted to dress alike, and Caroline wanted to soak it in as much as she possibly could. Soon they would teenagers, and everything would be different. "Alright, my lovelies, let's go."

She winked at her mom, who shook her head as she walked out the door with them.

They arrived at the museum, and Caroline smiled as her daughters became excited at the dinosaur bones in the center of the entrance.

Liz sighed. "I'll watch them."

Caroline shook her head with a smile. "Mom, they'll be fine. They know not to run off." She reassured her mother.

Liz laughed. "Yeah, how many times did you promise me that you wouldn't run off and then did?"

Caroline laughed. "I never went too far."

Liz laughed and went after her granddaughters as Caroline followed at a good distance. She moved through the exhibits as her daughters excitedly asked questions and she answered them with knowledge and patience.

"Mom, can we go to the children's section?" Leana asked, glancing at her sister who nodded.

Caroline smiled and lifted her eyes to her mother. "Sure, sweetie, as long as you stay with…"

"Grandma," Both answered with a smile.

Liz shook her head. "Catch up?"

Caroline nodded. "Yeah, I'm just going to the…"

"Mayan exhibit, I know," Liz remarked, waving her daughter off as she followed her granddaughters once again.

Caroline smiled at the picture and slowly made her way to the Mayan exhibit in a different section. She always loved coming here, in fact, she had interned her when she was getting her masters, but sadly, she had to turn down the job offer when Alan had asked her to marry him and then the twins nine months later.

So many missed opportunities, she sighed. She could have worked after she was married, but Alan had dismissed the idea. Looking back, he was more controlling than she had let on. Another reason it didn't last.

She stopped at the tablet in the center of the exhibit and smiled. Memories were a powerful thing, and she knew without hesitation how many hours she spent reading this tablet, deciphering its secrets. It had been sure luck that they had discovered this artifact in Central America. Though Caroline had not been a part of the expedition, she remembered the man who had been in charge of it.

Sadly, he had passed away a year after she had graduated and had to regretfully turn down the position at the museum.

Her eyes glanced over the tablet and her brow furrowed. Something wasn't right. Shifting her body to examine the artifact, she leaned forward. No, it couldn't be.

She straightened and glanced around. This wasn't the tablet. Moving through the exhibit towards the back, she tried to locate a security guard but sighed with relief as she saw them in the back.

"This is the information." A gentleman in the shadows handed to the guard. "Hybrid is the next target. Three o'clock, Delaware road, same as the others."

The guard nodded and turned to head out.

Caroline, who had frozen when she heard the word Hybrid, swallowed. Klaus…

"Crap…"

 **~XXX~**

"Look, you don't seem to understand, Klaus is in danger."

" _Ma'am, Agent Mikaelson is a very busy man."_

Caroline growled and wanted to strangle the woman. "I know he is a busy man, but his life is in danger!" She shouted into the phone. "Damn it, they are going to kill him like the others! You have to warn him!"

" _Ma'am, this is a government agency, not a private chat line. Please hang up and never call again."_

Caroline gasped and slammed the phone down. That woman was impossible! She ran over the information in her mind and swallowed. If they were not going to help her, then she was going to have to help him. Glancing at her watch, she inhaled sharply. It was only one o'clock. She only had two hours to get to the Delaware road and save Klaus.

"Darling, what's the matter?"

Caroline turned her head to look at her mom and daughters. Her face was pale and her eyes wide. "Klaus needs my help."

Liz nodded and smiled. "Then go, we'll take a cab back home." She responded, kindly.

Caroline nodded. "I love you all." She remarked, hugging her mom and her daughters, kissing each and straightened before she ran out of the museum.

"Does mommy like Mr. Klaus?"

Liz smiled at Lorrie's question and nodded. "I think she does, sweetie. I think she does."

 **~XXX~**

Speed limits were made to be broken at times, and for once, Caroline was grateful that she was breaking them and that there were no cops on the road at the time. She sighed as she saw the sign for the road Klaus was on and turned sharply onto it.

"At least I didn't tip over." She remarked to herself, and her eyes surveyed the road.

"Klaus, where are you?" She asked absently. She continued to drive, glancing at the clock. 2:30.

She only had thirty minutes. Her heart pounded in her chest and she knew she had to hurry. She couldn't lose him. She couldn't. He could yell at her later, but now, she had to save him.

A passing thought crossed her mind. What could she do? She was a housewife. Scratch that, a suburban mom with two daughters and a mother, living off a semi-fixed income.

She swallowed. She was a friend. A friend who needed to save another friend. That was who she was.

She sighed with relief when she saw him in the distance and gained speed. Saying a quick prayer, she slammed on brakes and jerked the wheel, like they do in movies, and was grateful that she was able to stop before she slammed into his car on the side of the road.

Klaus swore lowly and ran to her just as the car stopped. Her hands were stone white as they gripped the wheel and he opened the door. "Caroline, what the hell are you doing?"

Caroline was still frozen, getting over the shock of what she had just done before she shifted her eyes to him. "Oh, Klaus…" She panted, slowly letting go of the wheel and staggered out of the car into his arms, as her legs were shaking. "I had to warn you." She stated, breathlessly. "There were these two men in the Mayan exhibit at the museum. I always like to go there, mainly because I interned there when I was getting my Masters." She rattled on.

"Caroline…"

She nodded, hearing his impatience. "I noticed the tablet in the center was fake because it was one that I had transcribed when I worked there. Anyway," She shifted, seeing his impatience and remembering she only had a little time. "I went to report the fake and I overheard this man telling the guard that 'Hybrid was the next target. Three o'clock. Delaware Road'." She stated, trying to catch her breath, watching him. "I tried to call your office, but that damn bat wouldn't listen to me. So, I left the mom and the girls at the museum and came to warn you."

Klaus watched her and felt his heart twist in his chest. She had come to warn him about the danger. She had risked her own safety to warn him. "Caroline…"

"I know, yell at me later, but I couldn't stand by and let you get killed when I knew I could at least warn you or try to."

He shook his head. "I wasn't going to yell."

Just before another word was spoken a whiz was heard and Klaus pushed Caroline to the ground, covering her body with his. Glass shattered above them and Caroline held back a scream.

Klaus pushed her inside the car and put it gear, thankfully it was still running, and drove off.

"They shot at us!" Caroline shouted, her body shaking.

"Yes, Caroline, they shot at us!" Klaus snapped. "You shouldn't have come!"

"If I hadn't, then that bullet would have gotten you!" She shouted back, and he knew she was right. "Where are we going?" She asked, glancing behind them and gasped as she saw a car on their tail.

He groaned. "I don't know, but this…car won't go too fast!"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't have time to car shop for a faster car before coming to save your ass!"

"You didn't have to come at all!"

"I couldn't let my friend get killed!"

Klaus swallowed. Her friend… Somehow that made him warm, but he couldn't deal with that now. He had to deal with the car chasing them. "I have to get off this road."

"There is a junction just up ahead, it leads to a ranger station. Maybe…"

He glanced at her, shocked that she knew the backwoods.

She shrugged. "I bring the girls camping up here."

He nodded and at the junction he turned where she said to turn. "Hopefully, the ranger station will be open."

She sighed. "I don't know. With all the government cutbacks…"

He groaned. "It's worth a try."

"There's the road." She remarked, pointing towards the nonpaved road.

He groaned. This car was not a four-wheel drive, but he would have to force it. With a jerk of the wheel, he turned, carefully, and headed down the road. He watched in the mirror and was grateful they had least made some headway to where the car behind them didn't see that they had turned.

The ranger station was closed due to the season, and Klaus sighed as he put the car in park and slowly he and Caroline climbed out. "Not budget cuts, but still…" Klaus remarked, shaking his head.

Caroline sighed. "Well, we can still use the phone inside."

His brows lifted and studied her.

She shrugged. "No cell service here. They wouldn't put a tower within reach because of the park. Some nature conservancy."

He nodded and approached the door. Locked.

"Couldn't you pick it?"

He turned, shocked that she would suggest it, and she rolled her eyes.

"I've broken plenty of laws in the past two weeks, what's one more?" She asked, lowering her eyes.

He smirked, and with ease, picked the lock. "You're turning into quite the criminal thinker, Ms. Forbes."

She laughed and pushed passed him. "I wouldn't say that, but I will say that knowing you…has turned me to it."

He chuckled and searched for the phone. He smiled as he found it and lifted it to his ear. Dead…

"Great…" He uttered, lowering the phone.

She turned and frowned. "Don't tell me…"

He nodded and dropped the cordless phone. "They failed to charge the damn thing before closing up for the month." He stated, shaking his head.

She moved towards him and lifted the phone. Placing the phone in the charger, she glared at him. "Looks like we'll be here for a little while unless you know how to operate a C.B."

He sighed and gripped the desk. "Damn,"

Caroline huffed and turned to glance out the window. The peacefulness outside made her smile despite the circumstances. "You know, I tried to reach out to you the past week."

"I know." He remarked, lowly.

She turned and frowned. "Why didn't you respond?"

He sighed. "I got busy."

"Too busy to let a friend know that you were alright?" She asked, watching him.

He tilted his head. "Caroline, we've only known each other for two weeks."

"Yes, and still you became my friend."

He saw the hurt in her eyes and heard it in her voice. He moved around the desk and approached her. "I'm not used to having people, other than family, worry about me." He admitted, searching her eyes.

She nodded. "I can tell."

"I don't have many friends. Acquaintances yes, but not friends, not anymore."

"The man who was killed was your friend…"

He nodded and searched her face. "He was, and since that night, I swore I wouldn't have anymore."

She lifted her chin and stared at him. "Well, tough cheese, mister, because, like it or not, you are my friend, deal with it." She stated, firmly.

He couldn't stop the smile on his face and nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

She smiled. "Good," She returned, turning back to the window.

He shook his head. This woman was something else.

This woman was his friend.

* * *

 **Please be kind!**

 **I'm working on finishing this story, which as of right now, I have no idea how long it will be. I may steer towards another story and focus on finishing it. Who knows! :) But for now this story has my full attention! The next chapter is half written and I'll get it up in a few days! PROGRESS!**

 **Next Chapter: Trapped**

 _"I didn't tell you to come and save me."_

 _"Don't start that again. I wasn't the one who started the fire!" Caroline shouted, glaring at him._

 _He rolled his eyes and shifted nervously. "You said you were cold." He muttered, turning his head._

 _She smiled. "I said it could get cold. I didn't say I was, yet."_

 _Yet...oh, he was dreading yet._

 **Until Next Time...**


	7. Trapped

**Ah, finally finished this chapter!**

 **THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT! IT MEANS SO MUCH!**

 **Please remember to review at the end! :)**

* * *

"In the past two weeks, I have broken into the post office, broken the speed limit, been shot at, and become slightly paranoid." Caroline revealed in the darkness of the cabin. "I have even lied to my mother."

Klaus groaned. "You haven't lied to her." He reassured her, leaning against the wall by the window to keep an eye on the road.

Caroline scoffed. "Not big lies, but white lies." She explained with a defeated tone. "I've never told her lies before."

He sighed and pushed away from the wall to kneel in front of her as she sat on the couch. "Caroline, we've been over this."

"I know." She whispered, keeping her head down with her eyes closed. "It's just…my mother is my best friend. It's hard not telling her."

He produced a ghost smile on his face before cupping her chin and lifting her face to gaze into her eyes. "I understand, believe me. If I could, I would tell my mother everything, but I won't jeopardize her life for my conscience."

His urgency in his words made her feel somewhat better and she smiled with a gentle move of her head. "Thanks,"

He shrugged, caressing her chin with his thumb. "What are friends for?" He whispered, huskily.

She swallowed, feeling tremors through her skin at his touch. "Friends?"

He sighed and slowly dropped his hand from her face. "Well, I could hardly call you an acquaintance, especially after you raced all the way here to rescue me." He responded, with a chuckle.

She laughed and shook her head. "I have never done that before in my life, but honestly," She paused, pushing stray strands of hair from her face. "It was kind of fun with the exception of almost getting shot." She added with a slight smile.

He smiled. She was so ravishing when she smiled. His heart skipped at the sight of her and for some reason, the thought of her just being his friend gave him a small dose of pleasure, but the thought of something more gave him something else.

His smile faded as he realized that she did not have to come when other agents could have. Why did she? "You called the office, didn't you?"

She nodded and frowned. "That old bat, Marilyn, wouldn't listen to me."

"You told her that my life was in danger." He tried to clarify.

She nodded. "Yes, I told her that your life was in danger and that they were going to…kill you like the others." She paused, taking a breath and Klaus noticed she hesitated at the single word. "She told me that it was a government agency and that this was not a private chat line." She shook her head. "She instructed me to never call there again."

Anger flashed across his face. "She told you that?"

She nodded. "Yes, she wouldn't listen to me. I tried. Honest, Klaus, I tried to tell them."

He sighed, rubbed his hand over his mouth. "Marilyn has been with the agency for years. I don't know why she wouldn't patch you through to Ric."

"Ric?"

He inhaled deeply. "Alaric Saltzman, he's the head of my division. My boss, in other words. Next time ask to speak to him." He stated, trying to figure out why Marilyn would do such a thing.

"If there is a next time…" She muttered, sagging back in the couch.

"There will be. We will get out of here. I promise, Caroline."

His vow made her smile, even the tiniest of smiles which gave him the message he needed to hear.

She trusted him.

 **~XXX~**

"Marilyn, have there been any messages from Agent Mikaelson?" Alaric asked, approaching her desk.

Marilyn, a thirty-year-old woman with striking red hair and green eyes to match her Scottish heritage, turned in her chair and slowly shook her head. "No, sir, I haven't received any."

He grunted and pushed his hands in the pockets of his slacks. "He should have called by now." He muttered to himself. "Have there been any messages for him?"

She frowned and lifted a few pieces of paper. "Just from one of his women." She responded with disdain.

He tilted his head. Klaus didn't have women, or at least he never gave them his office number. "What's her name?"

Marilyn groaned and glanced at the paper. "Caroline," She paused, lowering her hands. "Caroline Forbes."

"Caroline called!" Alaric raged, his face contorting in a way that made Marilyn shrink in her chair. "What did she want?"

"She wanted to get in touch with Agent Mikaelson at first, and then earlier she called and said something about his life being in…danger."

"AND YOU DIDN'T PATCH HER THROUGH!" Alaric shouted with a force that made others in the office pity the young red-head.

"I thought she was talking about dinner or a canceled lunch or something." Marilyn defended, her voice shaking as she spoke.

Alaric leaned on the desk with his hands placed firmly on the edge, trying to keep from jumping over the desk. "Caroline Forbes is not Klaus' woman. She is a confidant and a trustworthy citizen who happens to know more about Klaus' case than you do. Next time she calls, if Klaus is not here then patch her through to me. Is that understood?" He ground out, his eyes flashing.

She swallowed and slowly nodded. "Yes, sir."

He straightened and his eyes held a dangerous spark. "What time did she call?"

Marilyn cleared her throat and glanced at the paper. "Around noon today."

"Klaus had a meeting at three," Alaric uttered, glancing at his watch. "It's six now." He observed, before cursing lowly. "I need to contact the boys." He remarked, turning on his heel and left a shaken secretary in the lurch.

She had really screwed up now.

 **~XXX~**

"How long before someone looks for us? And by someone, I mean help." Caroline remarked in a gentle tone.

Klaus shrugged. "I don't know. Alaric will undoubtably notice my non-return to the office, and will wonder what happened."

"Will he send people out?"

"Possibly, though he doesn't know where I was supposed to meet the so-called informant."

"You didn't tell him?" Caroline asked, her eyes glued to his back.

He turned from the window and shook his head. "No, the less he knew the better, or at least that was what I thought. I didn't think I would be walking into a sniper box."

"Is there any way he could track you?"

He chuckled. "It's not like Mission Impossible, Caroline."

She lowered her head and shrugged. "I know, but doesn't your car have GPS?" She inquired with certainty. "If it does, he could track it or where you were last. That could give him some idea of our location."

He smiled and slowly let his head bow forward. "Are you sure you're not an agent?"

She laughed. "I'm sure, but I read a lot."

He nodded, glancing out the window. "Sun's almost set."

She slowly stood up and frowned at the possibility of being trapped in the dark…in a cabin…with Klaus.

"I suppose, it's too dangerous to turn on the lights, isn't it?" She asked, carefully.

He shook his head. "We can't risk it." He responded. "Whoever was following could be double backing and if they spot the lights on or a fire…"

"They'll know it's us. Great…" She remarked, shaking her head. "Another lie I'm going to have to tell my mother." She paused, her eyes widening. "Oh God! My mother and the girls! They don't know where I am. I didn't call them to let them know!"

He sensed her panicking and turned to grasp her upper arms in his hands. "I'm sure they'll understand. You did say that you were coming to meet me, didn't you?" She nodded and he smiled before continuing. "Well, then, your mother will understand if you don't come home."

"But, Klaus, I always call, no matter what."

"Love, your mother will understand, especially since there is no cell service here."

She sighed, mildly accepting his answer. Still, she wished she could. Turning away from him, she walked towards her purse and opened it to lift out her cellphone. There was one bar on the service, not enough to call, but…

"We can send a text." She remarked, lifting her eyes to his. "There's only one bar, not enough to call, but…"

He rushed towards her and sighed with relief. "Well, that's something."

"You want…" She offered, not having seen his cell with him.

He shook his head. "Text your mom and let her know. I don't know how long it will be before help comes, maybe tomorrow."

She smiled, and quickly typed out a message and hit send. A few seconds later, her mother replied, letting her know that everything was alright and she would see her tomorrow. Caroline sighed with relief and passed the phone to Klaus.

"What did you tell her?"

She shrugged. "That you were alright for the moment, but I was going to stay the night just be sure, and that there was limited cell service."

He searched her face, catching her eyes and smiled. "What does she think of you running off to save me?"

"She thinks you must be pretty special for me to leave a Mayan exhibit to save you."

The tenderness in her tone made him shake inside. No one had ever cared enough to come to his aid unless it was his team or other agents. This woman before him was special in everyway and he didn't want to let her go. Strange how something like this made him realize just how much he needed companionship and needed someone who understood like her in his life.

She was truly special.

"I believe you are the special one, Caroline." He remarked, holding her eyes. "You didn't have to run to my aid, but you did. That says so much about the kind of woman you are."

She blushed but didn't leave his eyes. "Thank you."

He smiled before turning his attention to the phone and typed out a message. _Sniper. GPS. Ranger Station. Not enough service. Hybrid._

He sighed as it finally sent and waited. A few moments later, a message came through.

 _Units on way. Estimate three hours._

He nodded as he responded with a quick affirmative and passed her phone back to her. "Thanks."

"Help?"

He nodded. "Three hours, but it may be longer, especially since whoever is the leak could have monitored the receiving end."

"Oh, you are just full of sunshine, aren't you?"

"I'm being realistic, Caroline." He remarked, glaring at her. "Even though the message went straight to Alaric, there are others who could have cloned his phone or worse. That's why I'm so careful about who knows my whereabouts, at least for the moment."

She sighed and dropped her phone in her purse. "Well, whatever the case may be. At least we can take comfort that help may be on the way."

He smiled, even though it didn't reach his eyes. "Maybe."

 **~XXX~**

"We may have the location of Hybrid."

The response on the other end of the phone made him pause. "Yes, I'll send you the coordinates. You have exactly two hours before the others find him. Oh, and there will be a civilian with him. You know what to do."

 **~XXX~**

Something unnerved him for the next hour. He paced back and forth from the window of the station to the far wall, sparing a glance or two towards Caroline. He groaned and stopped in front of the window.

"What's the matter?"

He frowned, folding his arms over his chest. "I don't know. Something isn't right."

She stood with a slow ease. "Gut instinct?"

He smirked. "When you've been in the business as long as I have, you sense things." He paused, glancing towards her. "Something doesn't feel right."

She sighed and folded her arms over her chest. "Well, unless you have some kind of armament hidden underneath your clothes…" She began, with a sly smile.

He chuckled and shook his head. "Only two handguns and a dagger concealed behind my back."

She moved her head to examine him. Her eyes moving up and down. "How the blazes do you hide anything?"

He bowed his head and tried not to laugh. "It's part of our training, Caroline." He remarked with a light chuckle. "Hide what we can, 'cause we never know when we might need it."

She shrugged. "Well, I never had that kind of training, unless you count Girl Scout training in regards to camping."

He shook his head. "Slightly different."

"Yeah, I mean, my dad taught me how to hunt when I was a kid, but handguns were not the required hunting weapon of choice."

"What was?"

She shrugged. "A .22 rifle for dad and a BB gun at the time for me." She remarked with a laugh. "He gradually taught me how the shoot the .22. One of the very few things he taught me." She added with remorse.

"Where is he now?" He asked, carefully.

She cleared her throat. "Who knows." She answered, glancing at the floor. "He…um…ran out on mom and me when I was barely ten. Claiming he had found himself and we weren't part of his new life."

"And you haven't heard from him since?" He asked, watching her.

She shook her head. "No, he tried when I had the girls, but I refused to see him. Mom thinks I was too harsh, but I just couldn't let him anywhere near my daughters when he could decide at any time to leave them in the lurch." She added, pain reflecting in her words. "They already lost their father, I didn't want them to lose their grandfather."

"They don't have much experience male role models, do they?" He inquired, with caution.

She glanced at him. "Not really. I mean, they've met a few of my dates, but they didn't get to attached." She answered with a light laugh. "Lorrie even said that I was pushing the men away because I didn't want to get hurt, but then Leanne said that none of the men were for me because they couldn't handle my daughters."

His brows lifted and he fought a laugh as he imagined the little girls circling Caroline's dates, giving them a once over, and even threatening them. He could just see it.

She watched him and she knew what he was thinking. "Not a pretty sight is it?" She asked as he covered his mouth to keep from laughing.

"Actually, love, it's a pleasing sight. It means they love you and want the best for you."

She blushed at his usage of the word, love, and she smiled. Her daughters did want the best for her and she wanted the best for them. Which was why she had only allowed them to meet two of her dates since her divorce from Alan. "Alan, their dad, does love them, and they know it, but they also know that he is not a stay-at-home father." She added, quietly.

"Must be hard."

"We get by. He calls when he can, which is never premeditated. He knows I won't keep him from seeing them, but he also knows that I won't allow him to keep them. The kind of life he leads is not good for them." She remarked with a fierceness that made Klaus smile with pride.

"My father was like that." He remarked, turning to face the window. "He didn't care too much for home life, which was good because when he was, he lashed out at mother and me."

"What about your siblings?" She asked, hearing the pain and anger in his words.

He shrugged. "He mostly yelled at them, but never struck them." He paused, wondering how he could talk so freely about his past with this woman next to him.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, placing her hand on his arm. "What happened to him?"

He smirked. "He's doing time for murder and espionage in England." He glanced at her.

"You?"

He lifted his chin. "He ran out on us when I was seventeen and about to graduate. Lost track of him, but when I joined MI6, I found him."

She smiled. "I bet it felt good. To bring him to justice."

He nodded. "Damn good."

She stepped closer. "How did you come to the states?"

"I was assigned as a liaison at first, but then I fell in love with Washington, so I made the transfer permanent. Alaric helped me settle it all. I have dual citizenship with England and the U.S."

She smiled. "You're a very interesting man, Klaus Mikaelson."

"And you are a very interesting woman, Caroline Forbes."

They shared a smile in the privacy of the cabin and with perfect ease, she looped her arm through his and placed her head on his shoulder.

For the moment it was calm.

 **~XXX~**

The car pulled up in the darkened afternoon, and a gentleman dressed in all black quietly climbed out and pop the trunk of his car. Taking out a bag and a case, he closed the trunk and headed into the woods.

Time to go hunting.

 **~XXX~**

Caroline shivered and wrapped a thin wrap around her shoulders. She had forgotten how cold it got in the woods after dark.

Klaus noticed and frowned. Body warmth was out of the question. That little scene where she wrapped her arm around his and placed her head on his shoulder, nearly did him in. He couldn't afford to get close to her, and yet he was.

He told her about his father. Something he never told a soul.

She had that quality about her. Making others want to share her secrets. She would make a good psychiatrist. She had the attitude to help in her.

"It could get cold." She whispered, lifting her gaze to him.

He nodded and turned to the fireplace. "I could light it, but…"

"It would give away our position. I know."

He chortled and turned his head. They needed to keep warm, somehow. With a scoff, he turned to the fireplace. Perhaps a little fire would not hurt. It took only a few moments before the fire was warming the room, and he motioned for her to come closer. "We shouldn't keep it going to long."

She nodded and smiled as she warmed her hands close to the fire.

His eyes narrowed as he focused on the dying light of the sun. He frowned as he saw movement in the woods. He pulled back and reached for her. "We need to move." He remarked, quietly.

She lifted her head and frowned. "What…?"

He pulled her up and pushed her towards the back of the station. "Someone found us."

"Help…"

He jerked his hand on her arm. "No, someone else."

"Wonderful…" She muttered, shaking her head.

"Grab the rifle and bullets. I'll check the back door." He ordered, rushing to the back.

A crackle of glass came behind her, and Caroline dived to the floor just in time. She groaned and lifted her head. She saw Klaus rushing towards her, and slid across the floor with his legs sliding across the floor beside her.

"You're going to have to crawl, love. Now!"

She nodded, and slowly followed him as they crawled in unison across the floor.

"Who needs exercise when you're being shot at?!" She exclaimed as another round of bullets ricocheted behind them.

He rolled his eyes, and pushed her forward, sliding across the floor to the far wall. "This should provide some cover."

She let out a panted breathe. "Another adventure for the day."

"I didn't tell you to come and save me, Caroline," Klaus remarked in a rough tone.

"Don't start that again. I wasn't the one who started the fire!" Caroline shouted, glaring at him.

He rolled his eyes and shifted nervously. "You said you were cold." He muttered, turning his head, grateful for the pause in the shots.

She smiled, condescendingly. "I said it could get cold. I didn't say I was, yet."

Yet…oh, he was dreading yet. He groaned. "How many bullets do we have?"

She shrugged. "Not enough, if he continues like this."

"If it is a he." He countered as the pause continued outside.

"Wonderful, being shot at by a woman."

He chuckled and reached for the rifle. "I've secured the back door. We should be safe, at least until help arrives."

"And what about the bullets?"

Klaus swallowed. "The shooter is using a sniper rifle. It's not close range. Best guess, he or she wants us to go outside to get a better shot."

She groaned. "Great,"

He smiled. "Well, my dear Caroline, we are trapped." He paused and glanced her way. "At least until help arrives."

Her eyes caught his. "Help,"

He nodded and reached forward to grasp her hand in his. "Trust me."

She smiled and squeezed his hands. "Don't make me regret it."

He feigned offense. "Never,"

Just as another round of bullets cut through the station.

* * *

 **Please be kind!**

 **I took too long with this, but schoolwork got in my way! I hope you will forgive me. :) In result, this chapter was a little long.**

 **Next Chapter: Dangerous Kiss**

 _"If we ever get out of this, I swear I'll..."_

 _"You'll what?" Klaus demanded, lifting the rifle in his arms to fire off into the night._

 _"I'll..." She huffed, slumping against the wall. "Oh, damn, I don't know."_

 _He glanced at her, diving under the window. He glanced at her with a laugh. "Ms. Forbes with no words, that's a first."_

 _She slapped his arm with her hand, as a bullet came through the window. She squeaked and dipped her head to his shoulder._

 _His hand touched her head and trailed down to her cheek, cupping it. "We'll be fine." He whispered, catching her eyes._

 _She swallowed and like a moment before, she leaned forward._

 **Until Next Time...**


	8. Dangerous Kiss

**This has been a good week for me! Updates! YAY!**

 **THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT! IT MEANS SO MUCH!**

 **Please remember to review at the end! :)**

* * *

Bullets continued to ricochet around them, and Caroline worried for perhaps the third time that night that it was going to be never-ending. The shooter had to take a break sometime.

"Doesn't he or she ever sleep?" She asked, ducking her head as one last round of bullets echoed through the cabin.

Klaus chuckled. "Sometimes," He paused, checking the rifle for loading. "Snipers are trained to resist sleep. You never know when something might attack your nest."

She groaned. "Wonderful, being shot at by the Terminator."

He laughed, lowly, and shook his head. "I believe the Terminator would barge into the cabin, love. Wrong example."

She shook her head and slapped his arm. "Don't start with me."

He gave a mini-salute before lifting the rifle and inhaled deeply. Sitting up, he slid the gun through the hole in the window and found his target. Let out a breath, he squeezed the trigger. He pulled the handle back and fired again. He let out a low curse and fell back to the floor beside her.

He covered her body as another round of bullets entered the cabin, but these were wilder than before. "I must have hit him." He remarked as the firing ended.

She swallowed. "That's good, isn't it?" She asked, carefully.

He shrugged. "Depends on where I shot him. This rifle doesn't have a night scope."

She sagged against the wall. "And I didn't bring mine with me."

His brow furrowed. "You still shoot?"

She nodded. "I keep it up because of the girls. Mom has police training, but she can't shoot anymore. Someone has to know how." She added, nonchalantly.

His brows lifted. "Your mom…"

She shrugged. "She used to be a deputy in a small town before we moved to Washington after dad left."

He opened his mouth and slowly nodded. "Why can't she shoot anymore?"

Caroline lowered her eyes. "She gave it up because she accidently shot an innocent bystander. She can't even touch a gun without bursting into tears."

He lowered his eyes. "That's tough."

"Yeah, I told her it wasn't her fault, even the person who was shot forgave her, said it wasn't her fault too, but mom won't believe it."

"Sometimes, the ones who need to forgive is themselves. I'm sure your mom will in time."

Caroline smiled at the words and held his eyes, even in the darkness of the cabin, she could still see him. His concern for her was written on his face. She knew without asking why. They might not make it out of this alive, but that didn't stop him from fighting. She hated thinking that, but sometimes it is unavoidable.

"I will get you out of this, Caroline." He whispered, reading her thoughts.

She nodded only one with her head making the slow motion. Her eyes were trapped in his gaze and she didn't want to let go. Her body ached at the closeness and she wanted to move. She wanted to move closer.

She shifted, only a fraction, and leaned forward. He seemed to sense her intentions as he joined her motions. The air crackled around them and her mouth was mere inches from his. She wanted contact. She craved it. She didn't know how much until then how much he had seemed to become a part of her life.

As they inched closer, they felt a strange sensation between them. It was stronger than fire, stronger than attraction. It was…

Bullets shattered the top glass above them and Klaus covered her body with his once more. "Damn…" He uttered, his body shaking, not just from the adrenaline but from the fire burning in his body.

She felt his body shake and she understood what he meant. They had been so close. So close yet again. She was getting fed up with the so close bit.

She wanted to kiss him. She craved it more than she ever craved anything in her life. That in itself was unusual. She wanted to know how he kissed, if his scruff would burn her skin as it made contact, if his lips would be tender and then burn hers with a roughness she seemed to crave, if his hands would caress her body in ways she only dreamed of, but first they had to get out of this whole ordeal.

Klaus rolled up and cocked the rifle, sitting up, he aimed into the night and fired off a few shots. He moved back under the window and waited for the next spray of bullets.

There was no sound.

"Perhaps, you got him." She whispered after another moment came.

He shook his head. "No, he's probably reloading."

"You are a great comfort." She uttered, pushing back her previous thoughts.

"Sorry, but I'm being realistic."

"I know." She remarked, bowing her head. "It's been close to an hour. You'd think he would run out of bullets."

He smiled. "Unless he came prepared."

"We didn't come prepared." She remarked, sighing.

"No, but how were we to know."

She rolled her eyes. "If I had been thinking, I would have stopped by the house and gotten my two rifles and ammunition, but I wasn't thinking of that."

For the countless times that night, Klaus realized how much she must care about him to risk so much to save his life. She was a true friend in his eyes. Someone he needed. Someone he trusted. Someone he cared for a great deal.

"There may be some more ammunition in the cupboard." He suggested, motioning to the gun cabinet.

She nodded and slowly crawled towards it. She looked opened the doors and pulled out the drawers. "Yes," She whispered, pulling out the cartridges and crawled back towards him. "There are three more boxes, but I don't know how long they'll last."

He nodded. "Remind me to send some reimbursement to the station when we get out of here."

She laughed and nodded. "I thought about a cake."

He smiled and loaded the rifle. "What would you write on it? Thanks for the rifle?" He asked, glancing at her.

She shrugged. "Not sure,"

She held back another scream when more bullets came through the window. "Why haven't the bullets come through the walls, yet?"

He shook his head. "He must not be aiming at the walls. Just the windows, he's trying to get us out in the open."

She groaned and rolled over, closer to the wall. "Well, I'm not leaving."

He helped her push towards the wall and shook his head. "You are not stubborn, are you?" He asked, sarcastically.

She laughed, noticing his words were similar to before. "And you are not annoying, are you?"

He chuckled at her statement. "I don't annoy you, do I?"

"Not anymore, now you just…comfort."

Her words had his heart skip a beat in his chest. He couldn't believe being described as comforting would cause him to react a certain way. He searched her eyes. "Never been called that before."

She smiled. "Well, you have now."

 **~XXX~**

He winced as he touched his shoulder. It hurt to hold his rifle. Damn that Hybrid! He couldn't see that well in the darkness, could he? He knew the rifle did not have a night scope, so Mikaelson was shooting in the direction of his shots.

Smart bastard.

He needed to get that bullet out, but he couldn't stop for too long. They would escape through the back and where would he be. He would be dead, that's where he would be.

Luckily, he had thought of that and rigged the area around the back before Mikaelson had seen him. Now, he just had to rig his rifle to fire where it wouldn't hit his shoulder and he perhaps he could try to dig out the damned bullet before any more damage could be done.

 **~XXX~**

Klaus lifted his head to peer out of the window and fired a couple of shots into the night. He ducked under the window just as two bullets whizzed through, coming within a few inches of his head.

"Damn it, that was close."

Caroline touched his arm. "Did it?"

He shook his head. "No, I ducked before it did."

She let out a quick breath and nodded. She wished she could help in some way. She felt useless just sitting there with no gun and no way to help.

They had been trapped for nearly an hour and she was already feeling the fatigue sit in. She wanted her bed. She wanted to go home and hold her girls in her arms and say that everything is fine and they are safe. She wanted Klaus to stay with her, keeping watch or at least there close by. She trusted him. That much was already a given. She trusted him more than she ever trusted anyone, even Alan.

Her head hit the wall as she rolled it back and she closed her eyes.

"Why don't you lay down?"

She opened her eyes and shook her head. "If you are suggesting that go to sleep and leave you alone fending off that…freak, you are out of your mind."

"Caroline, you need to rest. You're not used to this. I am. Besides, you can lay down beside the wall or on the other side of the couch. The bullets won't hit you."

She listened to his orders and she shook her head. "No, give me five minutes and I'll be right as rain."

He rolled his eyes. She was stubborn. Stubborn to the core.

"I am not stubborn."

He glanced at her and smirked. "Yes, you are."

She glared at him, but a smile touched her lips. "Nope, I refuse to accept it."

"See, that in itself is proof."

She laughed and looked away. "You know, when I first met you, you wouldn't even joke or laugh. Now…"

He shrugged. "I didn't know you."

She shook her head. "You said that it was part of your training."

"It is. We were trained never to get emotionally involved."

"But you're human."

He nodded. "Glad you noticed."

She punched his arm, lightly, before he continued. "Sometimes in my line of work, I have to shut down my emotions. It gets the job done. With you…I found I can't."

"So, by knowing me, you've put your life in danger."

"Oh, I wouldn't say, Caroline. You've saved my life today just by knowing me."

She blushed at his words and held his eyes once more. "It's hard to shut off emotions, especially for me. I have my girls to think of." She remarked, honestly. "I can't imagine shutting them off, even to protect them. They are what fuel me to get things done. If I had to, I would kill to save them."

He read between the words she spoke and he slowly nodded. "A mother's instinct."

She smiled. "And a friend's"

"Friends don't usually kill to save another unless that person is your partner, best friend, and like a brother."

"I don't know." She revealed, leaning her head to the side of the wall, her eyes never leaving his. "You've nearly done it for me, so…"

He opened his mouth, but no words came out. She was right. He had nearly killed to save her to protect her.

She smiled in a knowing way and closed her eyes. "Pretty sure, I would do the same for you."

 **~XXX~**

"Grandma, when is mom coming back?" Leanne asked as she crawled on the couch.

Elizabeth shrugged. "She said that it might take all night. Mr. Klaus was having some problems."

"He's not hurt, is he?" Lorrie asked, carefully.

"I don't think so," Elizabeth answered with a smile.

"I hope mom dates him," Leanne stated, firmly.

"Why do you say that?"

Leanne lifted her eyes, which were like her mother's and smiled. "Because she's happier with him."

 **~XXX~**

The sound of cursing awoke Caroline before another round of bullets did. She sat up as much as she could and frowned. "How long was I asleep?"

He glanced, sideways at her, and lifted the rifle. "Ten minutes."

She lowered her eyes and stretched as much as she could. Her body forming even more through the clothes she had on.

Klaus held back a moan and focused on the window. He fired two shots and fell down to the floor, as three bullets entered through the window.

Caroline gasped and reached for him, checking to see if he was hit. "Klaus…"

He shook his head, climbing back on his knees. "I'm fine, Caroline."

Noticing, he was, she breathed a sigh of relief. "If we ever get out of this, I swear I'll…"

"You'll what?" Klaus demanded, lifting the rifle in his arms to fire off into the night.

"I'll…" She huffed, slumping against the wall. "Oh, damn, I don't know."

He glanced at her, diving under the window. He lifted his gaze with a laugh. "Ms. Forbes with no words, that's a first."

She slapped his arm with her hand, as a bullet came through the window. She squeaked and dipped her head to his shoulder.

His hand touched her head and trailed down her cheek, cupping it. "We'll be fine." He whispered, catching her eyes. "Help will be here in a little over an hour."

"If we make it that long." She whispered back, her heart pounding in her ears. She swallowed and like the moment before, she leaned forward. If she didn't make it, she wanted to know what it felt like to kiss him, just one.

He wanted to say that they would make it, but the sight of her leaning forward, as the firing from outside quieted down, seemed to be his main focus.

They were a breath apart and though he knew this was forbidden in a lot of ways, he needed to push forward.

Her hand touched his cheek, caressing it as his had before, and swallowing their silent arguments, their lips touched for the first time.

Fireworks exploded between them as their lips moved over each other. They pulled back only a fraction before tilting their heads and resumed their passionate moment.

She moaned as she tried to press closer to him, but failed as the arrangement was hindering her. She wanted closer, and she felt he did too.

His scruff burned her skin in a delicious way and she melted as her mouth opened wider to accommodate him. Her hand threaded through his hair as he did the same with hers. This was delicious. Better than she ever hoped for.

She licked her lips as they separated and her eyes slowly opened to find his flaming with desire. "Oh…" She whispered, searching his eyes.

"Oh…" He agreed, his voice husky and deep with emotion.

Her body felt swollen as she searched his eyes. She wanted more, but this was not the time, nor the place. Unless he thought this was a mistake.

His hand cupped her cheek and his thumb moved over her swollen lips. "It should be, but it isn't."

Her eyes questioned him, but she suddenly realized what he meant. He didn't think it was a mistake. She smiled at his response and touched his cheek. "Good," She whispered, just as the sound of another rifle firing interrupted their moment.

Klaus grimaced and slowly lifted to glance out of the window. His shoulders sagged a little before he peeked at Caroline. "Help came early."

She sighed with relief, and with Klaus' help, she stood up. Her body pressed close to his as she staggered forward and she smiled with a gentle expression before they moved next to the door.

"Mikaelson!"

Klaus sighed with relief as he opened the door and found his boss standing on the other side. "I didn't think you got out of the office."

Alaric smiled and clasped Klaus' hand with his. "Well, when my best agent signals for help out in the field, I have no choice." He joked, shifting his gaze to Caroline.

She smiled, holding onto Klaus' other hand.

"I take it this is Caroline Forbes."

Klaus nodded. "Caroline, this is my section chief, Alaric Saltzman."

She nodded. "Pleasure," She responded, holding out her other hand, which Alaric shook with a smile.

Klaus squeezed her other hand, gently before focusing on the other agents behind his boss. "Did you get him?"

Alaric shifted his expression to business and nodded. "Yes, he was a hired gun. Doesn't know anything, at least, from what we gathered. He did have a bullet in his shoulder…"

Klaus smiled. "He was firing at us."

Alaric chuckled. "Anyway, we'll take him back for further interrogation, if you want to do the honors."

Klaus nodded. "I would, but I need to see Caroline home first."

Alaric bit back a smile. He knew Klaus' look with more familiarity than anyone. "Take the rest of the night off, Mikaelson. We'll have to take the bullet out anyway, and make sure he doesn't bleed to death." He remarked, sarcastically.

Klaus nodded and pulled Caroline close to his side. "I'll see you in the morning." He countered, leading Caroline away towards her car.

"How are you going to get home?" She asked as he settled her in the passenger seat before walking around to the driver's side.

He shrugged. "I'll call a cab. Pretty sure my car is shot up."

She lowered her eyes. "You could stay the night at the house." She offered, lifting her eyes to find his eyes widening. "Oh, God, no, that's not what I… I meant you could sleep on the couch." She corrected, blushing at her mindless insinuation.

He smirked and reached over to grasp her hand. "I appreciate the offer, Caroline, but I need to get back to my place and change clothes." He declined, gently.

She smiled, grateful that he knew what she meant.

All the way to her house, he never let go of her hand, with the exception of stopping at his car to pick up his phone. He pulled into her driveway and sighed as she turned to face him.

"You know, I could drive you home and drop you off."

He held her eyes. "You should see about your mother and daughters."

She shook her head. "They weren't expecting me home 'til morning. Besides, it's the least I can do."

He lifted his hand to caress her cheek and shook his head. "You've done more than the least you can do, Caroline."

She leaned into his hand and with reluctance, they climbed out of the car with him walking around to meet her. "I can make you a cup of tea while you wait on the cab." She offered, leaning against the car. "The girls should be asleep."

He bowed his head, folding his arms over his chest as he leaned on her car, facing her. "Tea sounds nice, but I really should keep my distance." He stated, with a smirk.

She laughed, understanding what he meant. "You're not the only one."

He lowered his gaze. "Caroline," He began, feeling her eyes on him before he lifted his gaze. "Tonight…I don't regret kissing you."

"I don't either." She returned, quickly

He shifted on the car, coming closer to her. "It was dangerous for me to give in." He revealed, keeping her eyes locked on his.

She nodded, understanding his reasons. "I know. It was for me too."

He sighed, searching her eyes. "That doesn't mean that I won't do it again or that I will cut you out of my life."

She held her breath as he continued. "In fact, I am almost certain I will do it again and that you will remain in my life." His voice lowered to a sultry tone, making her heart skip and her insides turn to mush.

"I'm glad." She returned, feeling the pull towards him again.

He swallowed, hard, and licked his lips. "You know so much about this case and about my life…" He paused, seeing her fierceness as she looked at him. "You haven't run, yet."

"And I won't." She countered, strongly. "You don't run from friends in need."

"Is that what we are?" He asked, inching closer to her.

She smiled and lifted her hand to caress his cheek. "Friends and more?"

He smiled and lowered his arms to wrap them around her body, pulling her towards him. "Friends and more." He concurred, lowering his head before catching her lips with his.

Her arms circled around his neck and her body pressed against his. They melted together in a way that made them seem like one, and for the moment, they burned for each other in a natural instinct. They shifted their faces to gain a better access to each other's mouths and she moaned into his, feeling his hands moving over her back, hips, and shoulders.

"Caroline! Is that you?!"

Klaus pulled back, panting as bad as she was. "Your mother is calling, love."

She inhaled deeply and licked her lips, still tasting him. "Damn it." She uttered, turning her head. "I'll be in, in a minute, mom!" She hollered, grateful her voice wasn't shaking as her body was.

He smiled and searched her eyes under the glow of the streetlights. "Perfect timing on her part."

"I would disagree." She huffed, moving her hands to his shoulders.

He chuckled. "Oh, I don't know. I could very nearly take you against this car, and I would have if she hadn't come out to check on you."

She blushed and gaped at him, though she knew he could and would have. "Klaus!"

He laughed and pulled her close. "I'll call a cab, love. You go in and see your mother and daughters."

She pulled back and caught his eyes. "You could call inside." She argued, watching his face close up, slightly.

"I could, but that would not be wise."

She tilted her head in confusion and he brushed the back of his hand against her cheek.

The smile on his face was faint. "I would never leave tonight if I went into that house tonight."

Understanding his meaning, she nodded. "Okay," She returned, gently.

"I'll call you with the results of the…interview, tomorrow." He promised, after a moment.

She nodded and touched his cheek one last time before stepping back. "You don't have to."

"Yes, I do. I owe you that much." He stated, but the look on his face told her more than he voiced.

She smiled and turned to leave.

"Caroline,"

She stilled and turned her head to acknowledge him. He smiled. "Thank you for coming after me."

She brightened and bowed her head forward. "Anytime,"

He chuckled and stepped forward. "I'll call you tomorrow, or I may stop by." He remarked, casually.

"Tomorrow," She concurred, as her hand reached to grasp his wrist before turning to head into the house.

He watched her go and sighed in the driveway before placing the call to the cab. In a matter of an hour, his relationship with Caroline Forbes had shifted, and for some reason, he wasn't afraid of the shift nor was he doubtful of the lasting effects.

She was his friend and yet she was more. As the cab pulled into view, he went to climb in. Turning only slightly, he noticed her watching from her front window. Lifting his hand, he waved at her and she returned the wave before he climbed in and drove off.

Caroline watched with a light heart. The shift in their relationship seemed so natural and she knew that she wasn't afraid of it. As she turned to talk with her mother, after seeing to her daughters, who were sleeping, she thought of the actions which led to the shift.

Her only question now was, could she live with the possibility of Klaus' job taking his life? Remembering the feelings, he incited within her, she had her answer. With Alan, she couldn't, but with Klaus…she was willing to take that risk.

* * *

 **Please be kind!**

 **This week was my birthday week, and I had sort of a semi-vacation from schoolwork, so that was a plus! Anyway, I have my schedule mapped out, so updates will continue to come up semi-regularly, but you guys know me. I do my best to keep them coming!**

 **Next Chapter: Hybrid Gone**

 _"What do you mean he's gone?!" Caroline screamed into the phone. "I just saw him this afternoon."_

 _"When did you see him and where?" Alaric asked, urgently._

 _Caroline nearly fell on the couch, her heart racing. "He came by to tell me about the interview with the..." She trailed off, knowing Alaric knew what she meant. "He stayed for about an hour until he got an urgent call."_

 _"Who called?"_

 _"He said the office."_

 _"Damn it!"_

 _Caroline swallowed. "What can I do?"_

 _"Nothing, stay where you are. If he contacts you, call me immediately. He'll most likely call you at home."_

 _"Okay," She promised, hanging up after he did. It wasn't likely for Klaus to call her house phone, not now, anyway. She lowered the phone and swallowed._

 _Klaus was missing. She turned her head and frowned. He was missing and she was going to find him._

 _"Girls!"_

 **Until Next Time...**


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